Recorder PA C I F I C U N IO N
SEPTEMBER 2021
Jesus, the Good Shepherd Constituency Session Photo Essay
“The Good Shepherd came to seek and to save that which was lost. He has manifested in His works His love for His sheep. All the shepherds who work under the Chief Shepherd will possess His characteristics; they will be meek and lowly of heart. Childlike faith brings rest to the soul and also works by love and is ever interested for others. If the Spirit of Christ dwells in them, they will be Christlike and do the works of Christ” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 377). Cover Art © Morgan Weistling
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The Promised Spirit for Our Time Jesus, the Good Shepherd Learning Opportunities: StudentProduced PSAs, Virtual Town Halls Address COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns Transformation Daddy’s New Heart Historically Diverse Administration Elected to Lead Pacific Union Conference Adventist Health Arizona Conference Central California Conference Hawaii Conference Holbrook Indian School La Sierra University Pacific Union College Loma Linda University Health Nevada-Utah Conference Northern California Conference Southeastern California Conference Southern California Conference Newsdesk Community & Marketplace Sunset Calendar
The Recorder is a monthly publication reaching approximately 76,000 Seventh-day Adventist homes in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Our mission is to inform, educate, and inspire our readers to action in all areas of ministry.
Publisher Ray Tetz Editor Alberto Valenzuela Assistant Editor Faith Hoyt Assistant Editor Connie Jeffery Design/Layout Stephanie Leal • Alberto Valenzuela Printing Pacific Press Publishing Association www.pacificpress.com
Adventist Health 916-742-0429 Kim Strobel strobeka@ah.org
Holbrook Indian School 505-399-2885 Chevon Petgrave cpetgrave@hissda.org
Northern California 916-886-5600 Laurie Trujillo Laurie.Trujillo@nccsda.com
Arizona 480-991-6777 ext 139 Jeff Rogers jrogers@azconference.org
La Sierra University 951-785-2000 Darla Tucker dmartint@lasierra.edu
Pacific Union College 707-965-6303 Haley Wesley pr@puc.edu
Central California 559-347-3194 communication@cccsda.org
Loma Linda 909-651-5925 Ansel Oliver anoliver@llu.edu
Southeastern California 951-509-2287 sandy.roberts@seccsda.org
Hawaii 808-595-7591 Miki Akeo-Nelson mnelson@hawaiisda.com
Nevada-Utah 775-322-6929 Michelle Ward mward@nevadautah.org
Editorial Correspondents
Southern California 818-546-8400 Lauren Lacson Llacson@sccsda.org
Postal Regs: The Pacific Union Recorder (ISSN 0744-6381), Volume 121, Number 9, is the official journal of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and is published monthly. Editorial office is at 2686 Townsgate Rd., Westlake Village, CA 91361: 805-497-9457. Periodical postage paid at Thousand Oaks, CA, and additional mailing offices. Subscription rate: No charge to Pacific Union Adventist church members; $16 per year in U.S.; $20 foreign (U.S. funds); single copy, $2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Circulation Department, Pacific Union Recorder, Box 5005, Westlake Village, CA 91359. Info@adventistfaith.com.
September 2021 3
The Prom Spirit for Our Tim
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By Bradford C. Newton
4 Pacific Union Recorder
I mised
me
t was Jesus Himself who charted our course. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever” (John 14:16, KJV). And then in words
spoken to the young church just before His ascension into heaven, He “commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me’” (Acts 1:4, NKJV). What a blessing it is to know that the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit—the Comforter—abides with God’s church forever. I thought about these verses several times during the Constituency Session of the Pacific Union that has just concluded. As reports on ministries were tendered to the delegates, as the business of the church was transacted, and as the church gathered in worship and praise, we experienced once again the abiding presence of the Comforter, who is always and forever found amongst God’s people and is the Promise of the Father for the church. Our experience together has reminded me of the witness of Elder W.T. Knox, who served as the first president of the Pacific Union Conference and who later became the General Conference Treasurer. In 1913, at the 50th anniversary celebration of the General Conference, Knox stood to express his gratitude to God, saying, “The progress of the work… has certainly been far beyond the expectation of His people. He has done more than we in those
What a blessing it is to know that the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit—the Comforter—abides with God’s church forever. September 2021 5
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There are over 220,000 Adventists in the Pacific Union, worshipping in 806 churches and companies. God's Word is preached in Adventist churches in approximately 30 different languages every Sabbath.
days asked or thought.… I am so glad that God has
of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
gathered out a people from almost every nation,
There are over 220,000 Adventists in the Pacific
kindred, tribe, and people that today are rejoicing
Union, worshipping in 806 churches and companies.
in the third angel's message. I feel to thank Him for
God's Word is preached in Adventist churches in
the many ways in which He is making it possible for
approximately 30 different languages every Sabbath.
this people to give this truth to the world” (General
As the family of God, we are assured of God’s
Conference Bulletin, vol. 7, May 16, 1913, p. 5).
presence in our midst. When we gather in worship
Adventists in the Pacific Southwest are proud
or to study together in a video call, the Comforter
to be a part of the thriving global membership
is with us. When celebrate His love and grace
of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, whose
in the weekly cycle of the Sabbath, God’s Spirit
membership is made up of some 20 million people
accompanies us. When we seek His guidance in
living in most of the countries in the world. This
Bible study or contemplate the way in which we
diversity is reflected in the membership of the
have been led and blessed, it is the Promise of the
seven conferences that make up the Pacific Union
Father that we will never be alone.
Conference, one of nine unions that make up the
The Spirit is present in the ministries of our
North American Division of the General Conference
churches. In our classrooms and clinics, in our
of Seventh-day Adventists. Nearly 55 million
sanctuaries and schools, and in the hearts and
individuals live in the five Pacific Southwest states
hands of all those who minister in the name of
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Christ—we are empowered by the Spirit who was
who hear will live” (John 5:25, NIV).
promised to His church by Jesus Himself.
I believe this statement raises important
This is why the apostle has the audacity to ask,
questions for God’s church today. Are we living
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
in the time that Jesus predicted? Could it be that
trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or
the promise that “the dead will hear” could mean
nakedness or danger or sword?... In all these things
that even those who now deny and scoff about
we are more than conquerors through him who
the existence of God will come to know His grace
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor
and salvation? Is there a role for us—as individuals
life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present
and as an organization? To all those questions, the
nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor
answer is a resounding YES!
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able
In a time when skeptics abound, when the world
to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
is facing great difficulty and turmoil, when each
Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8: 35, 37-39, NIV). We are
new day brings word of a new crisis—who will be
blessed to know what it means to be safe in the
the ones who will carry God’s end time message of
arms of Jesus.
salvation? The call comes to us! “Again Jesus said,
In providing for the future guidance and care of
‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am
His church, our Lord anticipated the needs of our
sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them
age. The problems that beset us, the misguided
and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:21-22,
voices of self-sufficiency, the emptiness of lives
NIV).
bereft of values, and the consequences of sin that
As He is the Good Shepherd, we are the
frame all life on our planet: these issues do not
shepherds of this moment in history. As He is the
escape the Savior’s attention and care. Jesus knew
Prince of Peace, we are those who are witnesses to
that in a world that would deny the existence of
His lifesaving power. As He is the head, we are His
God, the journey for His followers would not be an
body—His hands, His feet, His heart to save, and His
easy one. And those closest to Him, the disciples,
voice to proclaim salvation. We are charged with the
experienced the harsh reality of a graceless world
most serious of all tasks: sharing the good news of
almost immediately.
the salvation of humanity, in the strength of the Holy
The Apostle Peter is the one who calls it out most
Spirit and the power that our Lord provides.
plaintively. Knowing something about denial, he
We seek your grace, O God, as brothers and sisters
minces no words in describing it. “Above all, you
within your family and in view of your great mercy.
must understand that in the last days scoffers will
We offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, seeking that we
come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
might be pleasing to you, and made holy by you—for
They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised?
this is our true and proper worship.
Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as
Grant that we may know you—so that we are not
it has since the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4,
conformed to the pattern of this world, but are
NIV).
transformed by you, in our spirit and in the renewing of
Our loving Savior anticipated this situation as well,
our hearts and minds.
and just as He promised that God’s Spirit will come
Amen.
to us with power and comfort, He also envisions the way in which the crisis will resolve: “Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those
(Adapted from Romans 12:1-2)
_____________________________ Bradford C. Newton is the president of the Pacific Union Conference.
September 2021 7
By Ellen G. White
Jesus, the Good Shepherd In 1893, Ellen White wrote three consecutive articles in
this! Unless Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had come
Signs of the Times about Jesus the Good Shepherd.
to seek and to save the wandering, we should have
These are selected passages from those articles.
T
perished.
stern conflict, but little in comparison to what is
most intense hatred, both toward the Giver and
endured by the Shepherd of the sheep. With what
toward the priceless Gift. Satan had represented
compassion, what sorrow, what persistence, he
the Father to the world in a false light, and by this
seeks the lost! How few realize what desperate
great Gift his representations were proved untrue,
efforts are put forth by Satan to defeat the
for here was love without a parallel, proving that
Shepherd's purpose. When the Shepherd at last
man was to be redeemed by an inconceivable
finds his lost sheep, he gathers it in his arms
cost. Satan had tried to obliterate the image of
with rejoicing, and bears it back to the fold on his
God in man in order that as God looked upon
shoulders. And the harps of heaven are touched,
him in his wretchedness, in his perverseness, in
and an anthem of rejoicing is sung over the ransom
his degradation, he might be induced to give him
of the wandering and lost sheep. “Joy shall be in
up as hopelessly lost. But the Lord gave his only-
heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than
begotten Son in order that the most sinful, the
over ninety and nine just persons which need no
most degraded, need not perish, but, by believing
repentance.”
on Jesus Christ, may be reclaimed, regenerated,
The Son of Man came to seek and to save that
and restored to the image of God, and thus have
which was lost. A lost sheep never finds its way
eternal life (Signs of the Times, Nov. 20, 1893).
back to the fold of itself. If it is not sought for and
“I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep,
saved by the watchful shepherd, it wanders until it
and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me,
perishes. What a representation of the Saviour is
even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only-
he Good Shepherd is seeking his sheep,
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
and what self-denial, what hardships,
should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This
what privations he endures! The under
love on behalf of man, expressed in the gift of his
shepherds know something of the
only-begotten Son, called forth from Satan the
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the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not
men who took advantage of this expectation,
of this fold; them also must I bring, and they shall
turning it to the service of themselves, that they
hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
might be thereby profited and glorified. Prophecy
Shepherd.”
had foretold that these deceivers would arise.
In the East it is the custom of the shepherd
The deceivers did not come in the way in which
to name his sheep, and as the sheep learn their
it was prophesied that the world's Redeemer
names, they respond to the voice of the shepherd.
should come; but Christ came, answering every
The shepherd goes before them and leads them
specification. Types and symbols had represented
out, guiding them from the fold to the pasture.
him, and in him type met antitype. In the life,
The sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd
mission, and death of Jesus every specification was
and follow him. Jesus declared himself to be the
fulfilled.
true shepherd, because he gave his life for the
Jesus was the good shepherd to whom the
sheep. He says; "Therefore doth my Father love
porter openeth, who knows the sheep, calleth
me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it
his own by name, and leadeth them out. He it is
again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down
who is stronger than the thief and the robber,
of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have
those who enter not in at the door, but climb up
power to take it again. This commandment have I
some other way. The Pharisees were not able to
received of my Father."
discern that this parable was spoken against them,
Jesus spoke these words in the hearing of a
the professed leaders of the people, pastors of
large concourse of people, and a deep impression
the flock. Jesus presented himself in contrast to
was made upon the hearts of many who listened.
them, and when they reasoned in their hearts as
The scribes and Pharisees were filled with jealousy
to what he could mean by the parable, he said:
because he was regarded with favor by many.
“I am the door of the sheep.… By me if any man
Among the multitude were also rulers, who were
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and
deeply impressed as they listened to his important
out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but
words. While he represented himself as the True
for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come
Shepherd, the Pharisees said, “He hath a devil, and
that they might have life, and that they might have
is mad; why hear ye him.” But others distinguished
it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the
the voice of the True Shepherd (Signs of the Times,
good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Christ
Nov. 27, 1893).
presented himself as the only one in whom were
In the parable of the shepherd Jesus puts his
qualifications for making a good shepherd. He is
own interpretation on his work and mission, and
represented as the “Chief Shepherd.” Peter writes,
represents himself as the good shepherd, feeding
“When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall
and taking charge of the sheep. He said, “He that
receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
entereth not in by the door [by himself] into the
Again he is called the great Shepherd. “Now the
sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the
God of peace, that brought again from the dead
same is a thief and a robber.” Christ said that all
our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
who came before him claiming to be the Messiah
through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
were deceivers. At the time of Christ's coming there
make you perfect in every good work to do his
was much agitation concerning the appearance of
will, working in you that which is well pleasing in
the world's Messiah. The Jewish nation expected
his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory
that a great deliverer would come, and there were
forever and ever” (Signs of the Times, Dec. 4, 1893).
September 2021 9
By Darla Martin Tucker
Learning Opportunities:
Student-Produced PSAs, Virtual Town Halls Address COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns
B
ack in December, when the newly developed COVID-19 vaccines were making news headlines and beginning a phased release to a nation decimated by the pandemic, many were concerned: Would the nascent vaccines, which seemed to have been pushed out at extraordinary
speed, prove a more dangerous option than the highly contagious illness itself?
Audrey Gaspard, a mother and grandmother who serves as La Sierra's assistant director of Student Financial Services, had discussed her apprehensions with her daughter, a healthcare revenue integrity auditor. “After talking to my younger daughter, she told me that I am more likely to die from the virus than from the vaccine,” Gaspard said. The conversation was a turning point and gave Gaspard some peace of mind. She notes, “After listening to the facts my daughter passed along, I did not hesitate to make an appointment” to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Several weeks later, Gaspard relayed her inspirational experience as one of nine campus members and students who appeared in a series of seven public service announcement (PSA) video messages offered in English and Spanish. The PSAs formed the first steps of a university educational campaign designed to answer questions and address misinformation and anxieties related to the vaccines for COVID-19, the extremely contagious and potentially deadly illness that results from the SARS-Cov-2 virus. As of Aug. 16 this year, 619,564 people around the United States had died from COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The PSAs were produced in June by students of La Sierra’s Film and Television Production department in conjunction with several faculty and staff members and the university’s Office of Communication and
10 Pacific Union Recorder
Integrated Marketing. They were promoted through
entering the healthcare field. “I got every symptom
targeted email, social media, and posters. On
in the book; it was so terrible,” she said. Wyscarver
Aug. 4, a vaccines informational Q&A virtual town
received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine in March, she
hall event was held on Zoom video conferencing
said, and strongly recommends the treatment to
with Spanish-language interpretation available.
others, including college students.
A panel of four scientists and medical science
Wyscarver said she understands the fears that
experts from La Sierra University and Loma Linda
are circulating due to the newness of the vaccine,
University Health discussed the functions of mRNA,
the lack of full FDA approval, and other issues. “But
which is the foundational technology in Pfizer and
from what I've seen, the facts hold up. Those who
Moderna vaccines, the efficacy of the vaccines,
are vaccinated are not ending up on the ventilator;
and the risk of detrimental side effects. A Q&A
those who are vaccinated are not getting the Delta
session addressed many questions, such as the
variant as severe,” she said.
reasons full FDA approval had not yet occurred
Students should understand that “it's not a
for the COVID vaccines and how likely it is that a
cold. It's not the flu. It's something very different
vaccinated individual would spread the virus to an
that the world has not seen. And when you are
unvaccinated individual.
not prepared for something, you usually don't do
A video of the town hall event, as well as the
well,” she said. “It's 100% not worth it to let the fear
vaccine PSA videos, is available at this link: https://
override the hope.”
lasierra.edu/covid-19/vaccines-answers-insights/. Nearly 200 people attended the online forum
Of faith, heritage, and tough decisions
including about 70 student-athletes, coaches and
The university has planned additional
staff from the Athletics department who gathered
educational outreach efforts related to the
under pandemic protocol in Troesh Conference
COVID-19 vaccines, including department
Center of the Zapara School of Business. They were
workshops, a second virtual forum for the campus
provided an opportunity after the town hall to ask
and the community, as well as a campus town
questions of one of the panelists.
hall to discuss recent significant policy decisions
Since last fall, campus members allowed on
for the upcoming school year. The university also
campus for essential work or permitted labs, studio
joined the national White House COVID-19 College
classes, or practices have undergone strict, two-step
Vaccination Challenge, which provides access
testing with prescribed protocols followed for any
to informational resources and virtual meetings
who exhibit symptoms or test positive for COVID-19.
where ideas and best practices are exchanged.
Trinity Wyscarver, a libero/outside hitter on the
As the pandemic began its deadly march across
Golden Eagles volleyball team, said she learned
the nation in late winter 2020, La Sierra University,
during the town hall how the mRNA vaccines
along with other organizations around the region
prepare the body to protect against COVID-19
and state, closed its campus in March in keeping
and its variants. Wyscarver is a senior psychology
with public health stay-at-home orders.
and pre-nursing major who plans to attend Loma
This year, progress made through the Pfizer,
Linda University. She is also an emergency medical
Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines has
technician in Riverside County and a survivor of
been stymied and reversed in many areas by the
COVID-19. She was sick with the illness the first 17
emergence of the more contagious Delta variant
days of January this year, before her age category
of COVID-19. On July 27, La Sierra University joined
was allowed to receive the vaccine and prior to
hundreds of other colleges and universities around
September 2021 11
the country in requiring its employees and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of the new school year on Sept. 27. As with its vaccination policy for other illnesses, the university also offers applications for medical and religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. “After months of careful consideration and consultation with many experts and colleagues, including surveys of our students and faculty, the
virtual storytelling class. “The students were able to
La Sierra University Emergency Management Team
utilize many of the skills they've learned as majors in
voted to require vaccines.… This decision is yet
the Film and TV program, such as sound recording,
another demonstration of our commitment as a
cinematography, lighting, editing, and production,
Seventh-day Adventist university to care for our
which is the actual physical process of organizing a
neighbors as God cares for us,” said President Joy
project and running a set,” she said.
Fehr and Provost April Summitt in a joint statement
Production student and future
to the campus. “The medical mission of our
cinematographer Cruz will be entering her third
denomination was founded and continues to be
year at La Sierra. For her, the PSAs represented
grounded in scientific discovery and compassion
an opportunity to learn teamwork. “Projects like
for humanity. Each year one third of La Sierra’s
these are a great opportunity to…[learn] to adapt
freshman class intends to gain the necessary
to different personalities and creative minds to
knowledge and expertise to make a difference in
work well together throughout the production
their world as healthcare professionals. Thus, with
process,” she said.
this decision we continue to honor our heritage, our
A native of Miami, Florida, Cruz lived in La Sierra’s
faith, and our students.”
dorm last year under pandemic health protocol. She said that she worried about becoming sick with
Filming lessons
COVID-19 herself, mainly because of the threat the
On a Sunday in June before finals week, seven
illness would pose to those around her and the
students led by Carrie Specht, film and television
burden it would place on her family thousands of
production associate professor, hurried in and
miles away. She described the impact on her college
out of a filming studio in Palmer Hall, setting up
experience and the realizations brought by the
cameras, lights, reflectors, microphones, and a
challenges of the pandemic.
staging area. Gregorio Jimenez, Cynthia Tapia Leyva,
“COVID has turned college into a very sad routine.
Brianna Hundley, Adam DesJardins, Laura Cruz, and
It seemed like a never-ending cycle of go to class, do
Aspen Lee were preparing for a day of filming five
some homework, eat, sleep, repeat,” she said. “The
campus members who were scheduled throughout
social aspect is such an important part of the college
the day to speak in video PSAs on the COVID
experience for both mental and spiritual health. I’ve
vaccines. Two staff members filmed their joint PSA
realized how important being part of a Christian
the following day.
community and being able to collaborate with my
Specht said the students will receive credit
peers is to me.”
toward a Service-Learning class developed for the
_____________________________
department called "Producing the PSA." Many of
Darla Martin Tucker is director of public relations for La
the students were enrolled in her spring quarter
Sierra University.
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Transformation By Charles Mills
Charles Mills is the author of more than 50 published books and over 300 articles. Mills began his career at Faith for Today and the Adventist Media Center in Newbury Park, California. For the past 35 years, he has been an independent media producer, writer, and radio/television host.
14 Pacific Union Recorder
W
e'd ridden for hours along the hard-packed dirt road. Every few minutes, a truck burdened with freshly cut logs would speed by in the opposite direction, throwing thick clouds of red-colored dust over us, filling our nostrils, stinging our eyes, and making breathing difficult. I checked to make sure that my equipment was still protected from the swirling grime. If I was to return from this trip with a photographic record of what we saw, the cameras and film hidden within the cases at my feet had to be sheltered at all costs. My assignment was simple. Travel into this South American jungle and take motion pictures of a certain village filled with very unique people. What made them unique? Every member of the settlement was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. Unlike their neighbors who worshiped many gods—some of whom they said lived in trees and rivers and snakes—these men, women, and children worshiped only one: the God of heaven. The settlements we passed revealed in vivid detail the poverty that gripped the land. Far from the relative wealth of the cities, these villagers spent their days doing little more than trying to survive. Because of their great need, they had little self-esteem. Their houses, yards, and roadways reflected the emptiness and discouragement filling their hearts. Their surroundings were unsanitary to say the least, and there had been reports of violent unrest between the different people groups in the area. The much-traveled vehicle in which we were riding slowed,
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turned off the main road, and began moving deeper into the jungle. Soon we came upon a small, isolated village set in a clearing beside the rushing rapids of a river. The driver found a shaded spot under a grove of trees and turned off the ignition. Very focused perspective Looking at the world through the viewfinder of a camera offers a very focused perspective. As film moved silently behind my lens, I witnessed the daily lives of a people whose very existence had been transformed. Their simple houses, furnished with only the bare essentials, were clean and orderly. Their lawns were clipped, roads well marked, and potholes filled. Where were the wandering pigs, the piles of refuse, the unmistakable odors of disease? Where were the ragged-looking children and the ashen countenance of parents? These people looked healthy and lean; eyes clear, faces shining with hope. Had this village really been like the others? How was such an amazing change possible? I was led to the small log and thatch house of the Adventist missionary teacher for this area. He welcomed me with a broad smile and allowed me the privilege of seeing the place he called home. Through the eye of my camera, I observed a grass
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Looking at the world through the viewfinder of a camera offers a very focused perspective.
mat on the floor, a neatly folded blanket, a tiny dresser sitting low by the bed, and a pair of sandals. Then I understood. Resting on the blanket was the reason for the transformation—the reason why this village looked, smelled, and sounded different and the people acted in more supportive ways. With its covers worn from use and pages yellowed by time, a copy of God's Word waited in the stillness of the stifling afternoon air, ready to lift the spirit of reader and hearer alike, ready to create clear images of how life is supposed to be lived even when burdened with poverty. The owner of that Bible had taken the words to heart and had spread the good news throughout the village. That was his mission. The Bible was his weapon of choice in his battles for social justice and the equal treatment of all people. It’s what he used to proclaim the transforming and reconciling message of the gospel.
September 2021 15
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C H I L D R E N ’ S
S T O R Y
Daddy’s New Heart By Charles Mills
“Every day. I’m doing those things so I’ll be able to live a long, healthy, happy life with you and your mother.”
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A “
re you going to die?” Mr. Parker looked up from his computer screen as a familiar voice called to him from the doorway of his home office. “What did you say?” the man asked. “Are you going to die?” his son Thomas repeated, his 10-year-old eyes filled with a combination of fear and sadness. “I don’t want you to.” Mr. Parker shook his head as he motioned for his son to sit down across from him on the big yellow chair by the bookcase. “Why would you think such a thing?” “Because,” the boy said, “I heard the doctor say that if you don’t do some stuff, you’ll die.” “I heard him say that, too,” Mr. Parker responded with a sigh. “He wasn’t kidding around, was he?” “No.” The man leaned back in his tall office chair. “My heart attack was scary to me, Thomas. I mean, really scary. But, I’m so glad the doctors were able to help me get through it. They opened up some passages in my arteries so my blood can move quickly in and out of my heart again. I feel much better now.” “So, why did the doctor say that?” “Well, I had the heart attack because I wasn’t taking good care of myself. I was eating a lot of greasy, salty, sugary foods that clogged my arteries with gooey gunk. I wasn’t exercising very much. And I worried a lot. All of those things can make someone’s heart very sick.” “Did the doctor tell you what you needed to do so you wouldn’t … you know … die?”
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do the same thing that we’re supposed to do in this world, Thomas. We’re supposed to tell people, ‘Watch out! Sin will hurt you, make you sad, even make you sick’ Then we can say, ‘Instead of doing that, do this!’ And we show them all the beautiful instructions in the Bible for living a healthy, happy life.” Thomas nodded slowly. “It’s like we show them how to have a new heart?” “Exactly!” Dad paused. “And Thomas, thank you for worrying about me. But, I’m OK. I’m not going to die anytime soon.” The boy smiled and stood to his feet. “I love your new heart, Dad,” he said. “And my new heart loves you, Thomas,” his father responded with a smile.
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“Yes, he did,” the man said as he picked up a folder from his desk. “He gave me this.” He handed a piece of paper to his son who slowly read the words written on it. “Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts. Don’t eat animal products like meat, milk, eggs, and cheese. Drink water, not soda. Go for walks around the block. Find ways to be happy and not worry.” Thomas looked at his father. “Are you doing these things?” “I am,” the man said firmly. “Every day. I’m doing those things so I’ll be able to live a long, healthy, happy life with you and your mother. Doing what’s on that list will help keep my heart from getting sick again. It’s like I’m building a brand new heart right here in my chest.” “So, why did the doctor say you would die?” “That’s his job,” Dad explained. “You see, doctors do two important things for their patients. Number one, they tell them what’s wrong with them—what sickness they have and why they have it. My doctor said I had heart disease. Number two, doctors tell people what they need to do to heal, to get well again, to become strong and healthy, to live many more happy years.” The man thought for a moment. “You know, they
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Historically Diverse Administration Elected to Lead Pacific Union Conference
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By Faith Hoyt and Ray Tetz
radford C. Newton has been elected president of the Pacific Union Conference, replacing Ricardo B. Graham, who is retiring after 14 years of service as president and
more than 46 years of ministry. Elected to fill the role of executive secretary that Newton has held since 2008, Sandra E. Roberts, president of the Southeastern California Conference, is the first woman to be elected to serve in the administration of the Pacific Union Conference and within the North American Division. Delegates returned Stephen V. Mayer to the position of treasurer, while Leon B. Brown, Sr., president of the Nevada-Utah Conference, was elected to serve as vice president, replacing Jorge Soria, who is retiring after 47 years of ministry. The elections were a significant part of the agenda for the delegates of the 31st Pacific Union Constituency Session, held August 15-16, in Tucson, Arizona. Delegates also voted on the coordinators for ethnic ministries and adopted changes in the bylaws that redesignate these positions—along with the director of education—as vice presidents for specialized ministries. Serving in these positions are VicLouis Arreola III, vice president for Asian Pacific ministries; Virgil S. Childs, vice president for Black ministries; Berit von Pohle, vice president for education; and Alberto Ingleton, vice president for Hispanic ministries. The retirements of Elder Ricardo Graham and Elder Jorge Soria prompted emotional responses of gratitude from the delegates. They each spoke with affection for the Seventh-day Adventist Church and their appreciation for the many years of service in the Pacific Union. The retiring leaders each expressed gratitude to their spouses as their partners in ministry. Acting on behalf of the Pacific Union Conference, Bradford and Jennifer Newton formally recognized and expressed appreciation to Elder Ricardo Graham and his wife, Audrey Weir-Graham, and to Elder Jorge Soria and his wife, Lina Soria, for their dedicated service.
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From left to right: Leon B. Brown, Sr., vice president; Sandra E. Roberts, executive secretary; Bradford C. Newton, president; G. Alexander Bryant, North American Division president; Stephen V. Mayer, treasurer.
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Adventist Health Leads Movement to Improve Well-Being
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he Adventist Health mission to live God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness, and hope is rooted in Jesus’ ministry of healing and the distinctive Seventh-day Adventist tradition of healthcare and healthful living. As part of that mission, Adventist Health is leading a well-being transformation movement that broadens the organization’s focus from solely caring for the sick to helping people live longer and better.
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Adventist Health teams are inspiring this transformation by improving well-being and longevity in communities across the nation through Blue Zones, a nationally recognized leader in well-being that Adventist Health acquired in 2020. This work started with the more than 30,000 Adventist Health employees in Washington, Oregon, and California and is moving outside the organization to local Blue Zones Projects across the country. Two such projects are underway in St. Helena, California, and Walla Walla, Washington. More than 50 additional communities across North America are engaging in Blue Zones Projects, impacting more than 3.4 million Americans. Participating communities have experienced double digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. Blue Zones employs evidence-based methods to help people live longer and better. The organization was founded in 2008 by Dan Buettner, who partnered with a multidisciplinary team of scientists sponsored by National Geographic and the National Institutes of
Roughly 80% of a person’s health can be attributed to health behaviors, the physical environment, and socioeconomic factors—while clinical healthcare makes up just 20%.
Health to research “blue zones,” or longevity hotspots, across the globe and to identify the lifestyle habits these different zones had in common. The original blue zones are diverse geographical and cultural regions—Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California—where residents live extraordinarily long and/or happy lives. Residents of these regions have nine commonalities, known as the Power 9, which together contribute to physical, social, and emotional well-being. (See sidebar for more about the Power 9.) Roughly 80% of a person’s health can be attributed to health behaviors, the physical environment, and socioeconomic factors—while clinical healthcare makes up just 20%. The Adventist Health well-being movement will focus on taking steps to improve factors related to that 80% and providing a path forward for individuals to improve their health and resilience. Learn more about Blue Zones at bluezones.com, and find lifestyle news and tips at adventisthealth.org/blog. ____________________ By Kim Strobel
Longer, Better Life Through the Power 9 1. Move Naturally. The world’s longest-lived people make moving their bodies part of daily life. 2. Purpose. Having a sense of purpose can help people live up to seven years longer. Articulate your values, passions, gifts, and talents, then apply your strengths and purpose to your daily life. 3. Downshift. Unmanaged stress can lead to chronic inflammation, which is tied to every major age-related disease. Enjoy rest and rejuvenation, especially on Sabbath. 4. 80% Rule. Stop eating when you feel 80% full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing and gaining weight. 5. Plant Slant. Aim to fill 95% of your plate with plants or plant products. Eat legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables, and nuts. 6. Friends at 5. The benefits of daily connection with friends and family come from ending work at a reasonable hour and enjoying time each day to destress and socialize. 7. Belong. Faith and fellowship can serve as a powerful source for longevity. Enjoy Sabbath as a weekly break and focus on family, faith, and nature. 8. Loved Ones First. Putting loved ones first and having aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home can lower disease and mortality rates of everyone in the family. Committing to a spouse can add up to three years of life expectancy. People who live in healthy families with strong ties experience lower rates of depression, suicide, and stress. 9. Right Tribe. A lifelong circle of friends can provide the stress-shedding security of knowing there is always someone there for you.
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Chinle Radio Ministry Reaches the Navajo Nation
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“We have had well over 100 people call in and request Bible lessons since we began our weekly 30-minute broadcasts on KTNN, ‘the Voice of the Navajo Nation.’”
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ne of the hardest-to-reach areas of the country is the heart of Navajo Nation, which sits astride four states and encompasses over 27,000 square miles of rugged Southwest high desert. With a population of over 170,000 residing on tribal lands spread across this vast expanse, ministry opportunities are limited. However, that has not stopped Pastor Dale Wolcott and members of the Adventist community in northeastern Arizona. Pastor Wolcott serves dual roles as the Chinle church pastor and the Arizona Conference assistant to the president for Native American Ministries. He can now add radio show host to his résumé. He helped establish the Dine’ Adventist Radio program with the mission, “To empower Dine’ [Navajo] to experience total well-being in our health, our families, and our faith.” “We have had well over 100 people call in and request Bible lessons since we began our weekly 30-minute broadcasts on KTNN, ‘the Voice of the Navajo Nation,’” said Wolcott. Broadcasting from Window Rock, Arizona, KTNN 660 AM/101.5 FM is one of the only radio stations that reaches across the entire Navajo Nation. Wolcott began broadcasting the weekly Bible Study program on this powerful signal in August of 2020. He and Bible School Coordinator Lorraine Francis then make followup phone calls to Bible students who are finishing the Native New Day course. This put them into contact with Janice, who just finished Lesson 20, which discusses the Sabbath. “Like many of our students, Janice lives in a remote rural area of the Navajo Nation,” Wolcott related. “She
NOTICE OF ARIZONA CONFERENCE CORPORATION 31st REGULAR CONSTITUENCY MEETING nd 2 QUINQUENNIAL CONSTITUENCY MEETING To read more about this ministry, please visit their website at www.dineadventistradio.com. mailed us the quiz sheet for lesson 20 a couple of weeks ago, and we noticed that she had answered all the questions about the Sabbath correctly.” Janice told them she had often wondered about the Sabbath day, and now she understands. “She loves the Lord, she loves the Bible lessons, she doesn't have a church to attend, and she would like to fellowship with Sabbath keepers,” said Wolcott. As they visited in their native Navajo language, Lorraine discovered that Janice lives only 15 miles from the area where Lorraine grew up, and she knows several of Janice's relatives. Janice requested to be placed on the Chinle church phone list, and she wants to join their services by teleconference. “We continue to receive Bible study requests after almost every broadcast,” said Wolcott. “Pray for Lorraine as she marks our students' lessons, mails out more lessons each week, and prays over the envelopes as they go to the post office.” Pastor Wolcott hopes that this is the just the beginning of the radio ministry to the Navajo Nation. He has a vision for Dine’ Adventist Radio to be a fulltime, full-power FM station to reach the mesas and valleys of this vast desert landscape. They are preparing to apply for a tribal land lease for a 300-foot tower at Yale Point, the optimal spot for reaching nearly the whole reservation. The FCC has opened a November 2021 "application window" for new non-commercial educational frequencies, and he is planning to apply for a full power 100KW frequency. Pastor Wolcott is praying for the funds necessary for the purchase of the tower and license and for the on-going financial demands of keeping the Navajo language programming on the air. In this way, he strives to achieve the statement that is on the website and the weekly bulletin of the Chinle church: “Diné t’áá’ałtso bá kin bii’ sohodizin.” “A house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7). ____________________ By Jeff Rogers
The 31st Regular Constituency Meeting of the Arizona Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists is called to convene as follows: Sunday, October 24, 2021 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (or until business is completed) Mesa Convention Center 263 N Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201 The purpose of this meeting is to receive departmental reports, to elect Conference Officers, Departmental Directors, Executive Committee, Bylaws Committee, and the Adventist Scholarship Committee; and to transact any other business that may properly come before the delegates during this meeting. Ed Keyes, President Jorge A. Ramirez, Executive Secretary NOTICE OF ARIZONA CONFERENCE CORPORATION NOMINATING COMMITTEE 31st REGULAR CONSTITUENCY MEETING 2nd QUINQUENNIAL CONSTITUENCY MEETING The Nominating Committee for the 31st Regular Constituency Meeting of the Arizona Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists is called to convene as follows: Sunday, October 10, 2021 • 9:00 a.m. Arizona Conference Corporation 13405 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 The purpose of this meeting is to submit the following recommendations for approval to the delegates during the Constituency Meeting: 1. Officers of the Conference 2. Directors of Departments and/or Services 3. Ethnic Coordinators 4. Arizona Conference Executive Committee 5. Standing Bylaws Committee 6. Arizona Adventist Scholarship Committee Ed Keyes, President Jorge A. Ramirez, Executive Secretary
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RIGHT: The CCC conference administrators gather at the conclusion of the adult meetings to thank all those who “attended.”
The Return: Longing for Home Soquel Virtual Camp Meeting Attendance numbers were inspiring, with as many as 3,800, as of the end of July, tuning in on YouTube.
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onths and months of planning and preparations were brought to fruition when the Soquel Virtual Camp Meeting went live from July 14 to 24 with the theme of “The Return: Longing for Home.” Whether participants attended on the Central California Conference (CCC) website or on YouTube, this virtual camp meeting brought together beautiful music, inspiring testimonies, and God’s Word. Not only were there meetings for the adults in both English and Spanish, the children and youth were able to attend stimulating and inspirational programs designed just for them. Of course, everyone is looking forward to once again getting together in person at the Soquel Conference Center next year—and registration is now available. It will be a time to once again enjoy cool weather, fellowship, and good food made in the Soquel kitchens by Jannell Gallemore. (Tastes of Soquel recipes can be downloaded at soquelcampmeeting.org. The site also has information about registering for next summer.) Although we couldn’t be together on site this year, there is no doubt that God’s Spirit was present during this virtual experience. A special prayer revival weekend was held just days before, and prayers continued to ascend throughout. The CCC Camp Meeting Committee undertook a huge task to deliver it virtually. Many hard workers dedicated their talents and abilities in order to make it possible. (See sidebar for just a few.) Adult programs Each night offered a special message focusing on “The Return” theme. The programs
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LEFT: Benjie Maxson, pastor of the Modesto Central church, served as producer, and David Hudgens, CCC vice president for human resources, gave the welcome at each event. RIGHT: Two families shared their testimonies of how local churches came to their aid during personal challenges or when their house burned.
were packed with variety, and participants had many opportunities to receive a special blessing. Based on some of the comments, some especially enjoyed the Bible quizzes at the beginning of each adult presentation and the challenge of answering all the questions correctly. Attendance numbers were inspiring, with as many as 3,800, as of the end of July, tuning in on YouTube. More attended on other media platforms as well. Of course, these numbers will continue to grow as more join in to watch. Viewers were challenged on Wednesday evening by John Bradshaw from It Is Written with his message about the “Prodigal Son,” and on Thursday evening when he talked about the “King’s Downfall.” They were stirred by Soquel favorite Henry Wright with his message on Friday evening about what it means to be “Displaced.” On Sabbath morning, Wesley Knight spoke about what it means to pick up Elijah’s mantle, while his thoughtprovoking message on Sabbath evening asked, “What
Thanks to these leaders and their teams Virtual host: David Hudgens, vice president for human resources Producer: Benjie Maxson, pastor of Modesto Central church African American programs: James Scarborough, director Media productions, webmaster: Sergio Cano, director, creative arts department Children’s programs: Lisa Plasencia, director Music director: David Dean, pastor of Clovis church Young adults and youth: Anil Kanda, director Hispanic programs: Ricardo Viloria, director Planning and preparations: CCC administration and Camp Meeting Committee
Did Jesus Do?” During the Sabbath afternoon program sponsored by African American Ministries, Hyveth Williams kept with the theme of “Longing for Home,” additionally asking, “Doomed or Determined?” From July 18 to 24, audiences were blessed to listen in Spanish to featured speakers Homero Salazar and José Espósito. Some were most inspired by the beautiful music. The Visalia Worship Team not only contributed special music but also recorded the theme song, “Watch, Ye Saints.” Sergio Leiva, a previous Soquel performer, reminded us with his piano solo that we have that “Blessed Assurance.” Karina Lopez, CCC Korean pastors and families, the Friendship Quartet, La Sierra University United Vocal Group, and the Cartagena family also praised God in song. The Sabbath afternoon presentation sponsored by African American Ministries included a wonderful concert by Noelette LeaderHutton and George Simpson. Children’s programs Creativity in action was on display in the children’s programs, which included original music videos and theme-building crafts. The high-energy skits of “Lindi Sue & You” and the spiritual messages by Pastor Lindsey Haffner allowed over 2,000 families and their children to more fully understand “The Return.” Lisa Plasencia, CCC children’s ministry director, and her team developed the new content each day for the virtual experience of teaching children about Jesus’ sacrifice and His soon return. One little boy told his grandma that he hoped to see the skit characters Lindi Sue and Roscoe in heaven someday. For those who registered, craft boxes (or PDF downloads) were sent so that the children would have the opportunity to engage with the content they were watching. One of those craft boxes even went to a military family overseas. In addition, the children were given various challenges to complete for a chance to win a prize. One such challenge was to wear the themed
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Evangelism In spite of the pandemic, evangelism was able to continue, using new and innovative approaches. As a result, there are many miracle stories. Some of those inspiring stories were shared either through interviews or videos in the “Miracle Roadways” segments. Youth and young adult Two segments dove deeper into programs stories told in previous Recorder Meanwhile, both the articles: Fight the Hate’s response youth and young adults to Bay Area community needs and had plenty going on just for the opening of Soquel Conference them. Under the direction Center to those displaced by fires of Anil Kanda, CCC youth last summer. Another stirring story discipleship department TOP: Many young adults virtually fellowshipped together. BOTTOM: told of how the CCC and mountain director, the youth had After attending Zoom meetings, Mark churches rallied to help those in their Zoom online meetings Jones was baptized by Anil Kanda, community ravaged by fire. that included devotionals, CCC young adults and youth director. It was also inspiring to hear Nelson vespers, Sabbath School, Ernst, CCC director of literature ministries, explain and an “iTestify” segment that included art, testimonies, that the Youth Rush program was able to continue and much more. The speakers were Heather Thompson last summer. Although it could not be held in CCC Day and Chad Bernard. The devotionals and online territory due to the pandemic, 40 young people spent connections really brought together those youth who five weeks in Oklahoma. They sold 9,000 books, which attended. will contribute about $106,000 toward their Christian The CCC young adult department, also under Kanda’s education. leadership, continued many of their dynamic and Ernst also spoke of the GLOW project that was well-liked weekly programs. During the virtual camp started in CCC in 2007. Since then, over 137 million meeting time, the program included Bible studies, GLOW tracts have been printed. When given away, Sabbath School, discussion groups, and socials. Young each of those tracts will have a story that only heaven adults from everywhere joined in the programs and may reveal. You are urged to take advantage of these fellowshipped online together. attractive tracts as a way to do personal evangelism. One story featured on the CCC website and in the Another story showed how the pandemic, a death in Friday evening adult program was the story of Mark the family, and health concerns finally brought a family Jones. Becoming a “young adult Zoomer,” he joined back to God through prayer groups and a loving and over 1,000 others in the regular 11 to 12 weekly Zoom caring church. Those evangelism stories are only a few meetings. He made his decision to follow Christ and was of many others that could be told. Some are just now baptized on May 22 of this year. T-shirt (or one they designed) while helping a friend or family member. They were then encouraged to take a photo and send it in. Beautiful faces that we want to see in heaven someday!
LEFT and MIDDLE: Sponsored by African American Ministries, George Simpson and Noelette Leader-Hutton provided a special concert with stirring videos on Sabbath afternoon.
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FAR LEFT and BELOW LEFT: Kids enjoyed making crafts as part of the programs. ABOVE LEFT: Two girls are enjoying the “Lindi Sue & You” skit, part of the dynamic children’s programs. ABOVE: After designing her theme T-shirt, this little girl wears it to help her grandma with yard work. Let’s hope she won a prize!
coming to light and will have to be told at another time. Like the Apostle John, we might also say, “if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25, NKJV). All of them demonstrate that God’s work never stops and we have the personal opportunity to help it move forward. While we are so thankful for those who have so sacrificially given in the past and how God so richly blessed those gifts, these stories demonstrate that evangelism must continue—we still need to bring others to Jesus. The work of saving souls is not done. Eddy Perez, conference evangelist, and Pierre Steenberg, CCC evangelism and ministerial director, explained that, while the pandemic may have changed how evangelism was conducted, it still went on in a mighty way. Amazingly, media and technology even enlarged the footprint in many ways. The conference invested
in necessary equipment for those churches who were willing to conduct online evangelism. In this way, people in the CCC territory and from all over the world were able to access programs—and do it again and again. This might never have happened otherwise. While we hope that more in-person evangelism will once again take place, the pandemic has confirmed that “Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing” (Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 481). Please remember the CCC Evangelism Fund so that the evangelistic work will not stop. It needs to continue by God’s grace, using every creative approach possible. The CCC website explains the ways to pledge or give throughout this coming year. We cannot stop—and it will take each of us. May we continue to work to that end! ____________________ By Deloris Trujillo
Inspiring music was provided by a variety of musical artists. Some who are pictured include: (FROM LEFT) The CCC Korean pastors and families (wives are pictured); Sergio Levia; the La Sierra University United Vocal Group; and the Fellowship Quartet.
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Hawaii Welcomes Newcomers to Education Ministry Caitey Ingham Caitlyn (Caitey) Ingham is a certificated speech-language pathologist with a passion for working with kids. She grew up in Northern California in a family of educators and attended Adventist schools from K-12. She is grateful for the spiritual, academic, and social growth she experienced as a result. Caitey earned her associate’s degree from Pacific Union College before answering the call to serve as a task force worker in Hawaii at Hawaiian Mission Academy Ka Lama Iki from 2014-2015. She returned to California to earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the area of Communication Sciences and Disorders from Loma Linda University. She gained work experience in the public school system in Northern California before moving to Hawaii to develop the REACH Hawaii program. Her classroom is located at Ka Lama Iki, but she will be working closely with all K-12 schools. She is very excited to be joining the Hawaii Conference team! Casey Goldring Casey Goldring is the new K-2 teacher at Kahili Adventist School on the island of Kauai. She loves the lower primary grades and is eagerly anticipating all the handson learning, exploring, and fun they will have together. Casey recently graduated from Southern Adventist University, and she is excited to finally be starting her journey as a teacher. Before and during her college years, she spent every summer working at camp, for a total of seven summers. It was through these experiences that God showed her that working with children and teaching them about their Creator was the most rewarding job she could pursue. In addition to camp and schooling, Casey spent a year as a teachers’ assistant on the Big Island of Hawai’i at Mauna Loa School. It was there that she fell in love
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with teaching and the unique and beautiful community on the islands. She counts herself as blessed to have the opportunity to return to the state where God reinforced this calling on her life. She is thrilled to be teaching at Kahili and cannot wait to see growth in her students and herself as they journey together through this school year. Roxanne Ferrolino As the new kindergarten teacher at Hawaiian Mission Academy Ka Lama Iki, Roxanne Ferrolino is excited to continue her service in Adventist Education. Roxanne is no stranger to the Adventist school system, since she attended Glendale Adventist Academy for 13 years and then went on to study at Pacific Union College. During her time at Glendale Adventist Academy, she was blessed by a number of teachers who inspired her to want to be a teacher through their kindness, love, and Godfearing nature. While attending Pacific Union College, she served as a student missionary from August 2017 to June 2018 at Mana Adventist School on Mana Island, Fiji. Feeling unprepared to teach grades 2 to 4 after only two years of college, it was there that Roxanne’s passion for teaching was truly tested. There were numerous days that discouraged her, but it was an irreplaceable experience that gave her the courage to continue pursuing teaching. After returning from Fiji, she continued studying at Pacific Union College until she graduated in June 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies. The following month, she began her service as a task force worker at Hawaiian Mission Academy Ka Lama Iki, where she was the teacher’s aide for third grade. That year opened the door for Roxanne to continue working at Ka Lama Iki as the kindergarten teacher. She is overjoyed to resume working there. Ka Lama Iki has found a special place in her heart, and Roxanne cannot wait to get this next school year started!
Seth Katada Seth Katada, the teaching principal at Hawaiian Mission Academy Maui, grew up on the island of Oahu and attended Hawaiian Mission Academy from kindergarten through 12th grade. Most of his family members are alumni from the school, and he says that made him want to come back and serve even more. Seth looks back at going to Hawaiian Mission Academy as being fun and exciting. He says that the athletics, socials, school campouts, and all the other activities created memories that will last a lifetime. In addition, after all the fun activities, they would have worship, with praise songs and fellowship. He fondly
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remembers hanging out with students from the school on Sabbath afternoons, hiking or going to the beach. These vivid memories were created in an Adventist school setting. Seth believes that God brought his classmates together to learn and grow from each other's experiences. The way they treated one another created a bond that he considers to be unbreakable. This is the experience that Seth wants to create for the students that cross his path. His hope for them is that they can experience God's character through the people they surround themselves with. Seth is beyond thankful that his parents kept him in Adventist Education. His prayer is that God can use him as a messenger to do His work every day and help his students accomplish their goals.
Students Persevere to be Baptized
here’s no better way to celebrate the Sabbath than to witness our youth dedicating their lives to do God’s will. On July 31, Kiana Burgo and Colbie Nakamura gave their lives to Jesus and were baptized. Kiana and Colbie gave up their lunch break (which is difficult for any sixth-grader) this last school year to start participating in baptismal lessons while attending HMA Windward. The pandemic made it difficult to have consistency, and throughout the school year the girls continued their study with several intern pastors. However, the girls and their parents were willing to be patient and trust in God’s plan. Kiana and Colbie completed the lessons in May and were approached with the big question of whether they
wanted to be baptized. Colbie knew she wanted Uncle Jesse Seibel to baptize her, but she hesitated because she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Fortunately, Kiana knew what she wanted and quickly asked that Uncle Jesse Seibel baptize her. Once Colbie heard Kiana’s request, she smiled and responded, “Me too!” Early that Sabbath morning, about 50 to 60 family, friends, and church ‘ohana gathered at Kalama Beach to witness the blessed event. Kiana and Colbie shared testimonies of their love for God and their excitement about allowing Him to lead in their lives. Neither pandemic obstacles nor crashing waves could keep Kiana or Colbie from giving their lives to the Lord! ____________________ By Colleen Nakamura
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Campus church built. 1961-62
The gym was erected during the summer, but office spaces and equipment rooms were not completed. 1984
1964 First denominational 13th Sabbath Offering for Native Americans of North America. Part of the offering would go toward the first boys' dorm building to be built.
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Newbury Park Adventist Academy helped to continue rooms and offices in the gym. 1986
1985 Current Admin building completed in the summer. 10,000 square ft. (Another 13th Sabbath project.)
Maplewood Flyer tumbling team from Maplewood Academy helped to build a playground. 1987
The boy’s dorm is dedicated in 2006.
HIS Nation, 75 Years Strong
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his year, Holbrook Indian School (HIS) celebrates its 75th year of wholistic educational service to Native American youth. We are an institution that has been committed to creating a safe place for Native American students to live, learn, and grow in Christ since 1946. Much of the school’s annual operation costs of $2.5 million come from the donations of Adventist members. The student’s cost is only $85 per month, which goes toward tuition, dorm room, and book fees. The development department at HIS hasn’t always been in existence, but the legacy of this school’s support system extends into the past, long before it came to be. Teachers, maintenance workers, board members, as well as donors: you are part of a long history of individuals who have invested, through one form or another, in this school’s ministry to Native American youth. In the Newsdesk section of this month’s issue of the Recorder (on page 66), we share a review of all the good that our donors have brought us over the past five years. We take a look at the results of God’s hand in moving individuals to support Holbrook Indian School’s mission since its founding in 1946. The timeline below focuses on a few of our milestones from the 1960s to 2010. ____________________ By Chevon Petgrave
Holbrook Indian School (HIS) is a first- through twelfth-grade boarding academy operated by the Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. HIS also manages a firstthrough eighth-grade day school on the Navajo reservation in Chinle, Arizona. Eighty-seven percent of funding comes from individuals who have a desire to support Native American ministries and Christian education. Your generosity makes a difference in the lives of our students, their families, and the communities they serve. Thank you for your support.
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 910 Holbrook, Arizona 86025-0910 (928) 524-6845 (Ext. 109) Development@hissda.org HolbrookIndianSchool.org
Girls' dorm groundbreaking. 1993
Girls' dorm completed and dedicated. 1996
1995 Chinle school adopted into HIS school system of Native American education.
Vocational program makes a comeback. Classes like welding, auto mechanics (small engines), woodworking are re-implemented. 2004
2003 Phase I for new boys' dorm building starts with groundbreaking and construction for a new maintenance building.
New horsemanship program founded. 2010
2006 New boys' dorm completed and dedicated.
(New boys' dorm would be built where old maintenance building was demolished.)
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PHOTO: NATAN VIGNA
For more on this story, please visit www.lasierra.edu/news.
La Sierra University’s Thaine B. Price Science Complex, which houses the computer science program, among others.
Student Entrepreneur, Edison Scholar Sets Sights on Information Technology Path
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a Sierra University computer science senior James Hayes has taken significant steps over the summer toward achieving his goals, and a scholarship received last spring from Edison International will further his progress this school year. Hayes plans to enter the information technology industry, a field that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts at 11% growth through 2029, “much faster than the average for all occupations,” the bureau stated. In June, Hayes took a significant step forward with the formation of his company, Grangloria Technologies, LLC. He has spent much of the summer focusing on systems analysis and design, network transfer protocols, and different methodologies that could be used for varying project sizes and complexities. “I like the idea of software that aids in the business process,” said Hayes, “things that help the business streamline its procedures. For example, businesses that offer a service or services that require booked appointments by their clients, we can develop applications that would allow their clients or potential clients the ability to see available appointments within, let's say, the next half hour and book it. The service provider is able to see their schedule in real time.” Hayes said he plans to pitch software applications to particular industries once application prototypes have been developed.
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La Sierra University
Computer science major James Hayes is among seven students who each received $2,143 in STEM scholarship funds from Edison International. Meanwhile, as a senior this coming school year, he is focused on completing his college degree program. That endeavor has received the support of a $2,143 STEM grant from Edison International, an award for eligible students studying in science, technology, engineering, and math. He is one of seven La Sierra Edison STEM scholars. Other awardees include Allan Villamor, José Campos, Morgan Williams, Sunny Zhou, Yonghe Li, and Cole E. Mupas. The awards were announced during a virtual May scholarship ceremony. “When I heard my name called, many things ran through my mind at that moment,” said Hayes. “This was an acknowledgment of my hard work, dedication, focus, and discipline.” He noted, “This funding allows me to continue to focus on the completion of my educational goals.” Hayes was inspired by the example of others, specifically that of his mother. “Watching her as I grew up exposed me to perseverance,” he said. “I see what it took to overcome difficulties; now it’s hard for me to complain about difficulties. I believe the intangibles that I gained from my mother guided me in my studies of such a difficult subject.” ____________________ By Darla Martin Tucker
$1.2 Million Gift to PUC Will Support Student Scholarships
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tudent scholarships at Pacific Union College received a substantial boost after a recent $1.2 million gift was granted from the Carl and Carolyn Williams Charitable Remainder Trust. PUC President Dr. Ralph Trecartin emphasized the powerful impact that gifts like this can have on the future of students at the college, as well as the extreme importance of continued support. “This type of gift provides great encouragement as we move forward with our vision and plans to strengthen our academic programs,” Dr. Trecartin said. “It makes it possible to continue building stronger and more dynamic educational offerings and to make sure more young people are able to join us and benefit from an Adventist higher education. Carl and Carolyn Williams knew the importance of bringing students into the PUC family so they can be prepared for the future—but also so they have an opportunity to connect with God, to grow in their faith, and to nurture their walk with Him.” Carl and Carolyn (Thompson) Williams graduated from PUC in 1951 and never stopped being advocates and friends of the college. The couple invested in PUC students throughout the years by supporting scholarship funds through generous gifts of property, and they had donated more than a million dollars to the school before leaving this gift in their trust. “When alumni, or supporters of any kind, choose to leave gifts to PUC through a trust or estate plan, they are guaranteeing that their legacy will benefit the college that they loved and supported in life, even after they have passed,” said Kellie Lind, PUC’s vice president for alumni and advancement. “The legacy of Carl and Carolyn Williams is clearly one of generosity. That legacy will live on at PUC and through the students who benefit from the couple’s investment in the future. We are so grateful.” The $1.2 million gift is the latest of multiple substantial donations to PUC’s advancement department in 2021 as the college has been putting an increased focus on its vision for the future. The vision outlines a detailed plan for the next several To learn more about alumni and greater giving years for PUC. to Pacific Union College, please call 707-965-7500 ____________________ or email PUC’s Advancement Department at By Staff Writer
advancement@puc.edu.
Pacific Union College
September 2021 35
Celebration: LLUH Opens Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus
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oma Linda University Health officially opened the Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus, home to a state-of-the-art adult hospital and Children’s Hospital tower expansion—a momentous occasion years in the making as leaders celebrated with a jubilant ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 6. Built to meet updated state seismic codes for acute care facilities, the campus is home to LLUH’s new 16-story Medical Center and 9-story Children’s Hospital tower. The campus incorporates leading advances in patient safety and comfort and was designed to continue the organization’s 115-year legacy of care and healthcare education in what has become one of the most medically complex regions in the nation. The new campus was made possible in part by the philanthropy efforts of Vision 2020—The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow. Leaders thanked philanthropists
Dennis and Carol Troesh for their lead gift of $100 million to the initiative. “This is truly a historic day in the legacy of Loma Linda University Health,” said Richard Hart, MD, DrPH, president of Loma Linda University Health. “There are no words to adequately express the sincere gratitude and excitement that we feel as we open these doors to the community.” Hart recounted his personal journey. He was born in the Loma Linda Sanitarium, which was located on a nearby hill and now houses two university schools. He attended the Loma Linda University School of Medicine and helped to move patients into the Medical Center’s cloverleaf towers when they opened in 1967. On August 8, Hart took part in the transfer of patients to the new Medical Center on the Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus. “What a remarkable transition in one lifetime from a quiet sanitarium with a College of Medical Evangelists to a world-renowned academic See the latest news and Health & Wellness health center known as Loma Linda University stories from Loma Linda University Health Health,” Hart said. “We stand today on the shoulders of many who have made this at news.llu.edu. transition a reality.”
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Loma Linda University Health
The acute care facility, built upon 126 base isolators to reduce the impact of seismic activity, is the secondtallest hospital in California. The Medical Center has 320 licensed beds, while the Children’s Hospital expansion brings its total bed count up to 84. Kerry Heinrich, CEO of Loma Linda University Health Hospitals, reflected on the Seventh-day Adventist legacy of the organization, highlighting LLUH’s co-founder Ellen White arriving to the area in 1905 and remarking “this is the very place” that would be used to bring hope and healing. The new campus, Heinrich said, begins a new chapter in that legacy. “This very place will be home to thousands of dedicated physicians, nurses, and clinicians, a place where they will provide world-class clinical care and education,” Heinrich said. “This very place will support the intense efforts of researchers whose discoveries will make an impact around the world.” LLUH leaders thanked the state of California for its support of $165 million in funding. State Treasurer Fiona Ma, MS, MBA, expressed her appreciation at the ceremony. “I want to thank the Loma Linda community for all your good work and your persistence in making this happen,” she said. A special additional ceremony was also held on the new facility’s fifth floor for the San Manuel Maternity
Pavilion. Leaders thanked the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their contribution of $25 million. The gift, the largest in the tribe’s history, recognized the century-long partnership between the hospital and the tribe. Loma Linda University Health comprises eight schools, six hospitals, and approximately 17,000 employees. LLUH is the flagship academic health sciences center of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and it has sponsored numerous missionaries and served as a consultant for the establishment of the six other Adventist medical schools worldwide. “The future physicians and healthcare professionals who learn here will have many opportunities to train in multidisciplinary teams and come to understand that meaningful patient experiences must be at the center of everything we do,” said Tamara Thomas, MD, executive vice president for medical affairs at Loma Linda University Health. “It is my hope that the work taking place within these walls will transform the lives of both our current and future healthcare professionals and the diverse community we serve.” ____________________ By Ansel Oliver, additional reporting by Larry Becker and Sheann Brandon
Loma Linda University Health
September 2021 37
Maranatha Begins School Project in Kayenta The hearts of the volunteers were so touched with the presence of God on this mission trip that 17 of them made the decision to be baptized in the San Juan river, at the end of the trip.
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Nevada-Utah Conference
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hen Nancy Crosby walked onto the Kayenta church property on a sunny day in July, it was like being jolted awake from a long sleep. For the past 14 months, the Navajo Nation, where Kayenta is located in Arizona, had been under rigid COVID restrictions; no one had been allowed to gather at all. Now, the church was bustling with 77 volunteers from the Ultimate Workout, Maranatha Volunteers International’s annual mission trip for teenagers. To Crosby, the sight, noise, and energy of so many people was startling in the best possible way.
OPPOSITE PAGE AND BELOW: Students from across the country joined the Maranatha Volunteers International Ultimate Workout and made a huge impact on the community and church in Kayenta, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. “When I came there the first time and I saw all those kids—I can’t even describe it. It was just so beautiful,” said Crosby, who is the Native Ministries coordinator for the Nevada-Utah Conference. Crosby had been praying for this moment for years. After the devastating closure of Monument Valley Mission School, located 25 miles away, she dreamed of opening a new school in Kayenta. She shared her idea with Maranatha, and the organization made an initial site visit, but there was no funding in place to move forward. Then, in early 2021, Maranatha needed a domestic location for the Ultimate Workout when the overseas trip fell through because of COVID. While Maranatha does not fundraise for projects in North America, a donor offered to fund the Kayenta school project and provide a service opportunity for the youth. It was the first of many miracles that occurred in the process of organizing the project. On July 15, teens from all over the world arrived in Kayenta. Using the church property as base camp, the volunteers spent the next 10 days constructing the walls of the school, running a health education program, coordinating a Vacation Bible School, erecting a greenhouse, and completing a variety of tasks at 13 homes, such as painting, gardening, and building fences. “Your work, your effort, what you did here is making a really big impact for generations to come,” said Lorraine Whitehair, member of the Kayenta church, to the volunteers on Sabbath. “Know that we appreciate all the effort that you put into this community, and we just love you to pieces.” Crosby says that the project energized the members, even piquing new interest in those who had stopped coming to church. But it wasn’t just the local community that was impacted. The volunteers, who engaged in intensive worship each day, were also transformed. At the end of the mission trip, 17 teens gave their hearts to Jesus during a beautiful baptism in the San Juan River in Mexican Hat, Utah. “Maranatha’s mission is to build people, and we do that through the construction of urgently needed buildings. I can certainly say we have accomplished our mission for this project,” said Lisandro Staut, director of volunteer projects at Maranatha. “People’s lives were built—the local people, volunteers, and each one of us—as we all experienced spiritual, physical, and mental growth thanks to the work of God in Kayenta.” ____________________ By Julie Z. Lee
A temporary tent city was raised up in Kayenta, Arizona, to house the 77 volunteers who came to assist the Kayenta church on a project to build a new school.
Nevada-Utah Conference
September 2021 39
NCC Urban Churches Continue to Serve Their Neighbors N
El Sobrante Appian Way ACS members help housed and unhoused people in need.
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orthern California Conference (NCC) churches continue to engage their communities with compassion. Here are some of their stories.
El Sobrante Appian Way Church Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the El Sobrante Appian Way church carries on with its outreach efforts through its Adventist Community Services (ACS) program. Every Sunday and Wednesday, the program distributes food, clothing, masks, and hand sanitizer to those in need. During the first part of the year, ACS assisted about 100 households each month. By April, they were serving more than 300 families monthly. “I so appreciate our church’s ACS volunteers because they are the hands and feet of our Lord to meet the needs of the community,” said Pastor Long Thatcher. “Their faithful service helps to ease the burden of hardship for many.” Not only is ACS serving households in their local community, they have also reached out into neighboring communities to help unhoused people. Church members donated toiletries, masks, and sanitizer, and ACS volunteers prepared sack lunches, bottled water, and hot beverages to deliver to homeless campsites in the cities adjacent to El Sobrante. Asked why they volunteer, ASC members had a long list of reasons, including: we get to share prayer and testimonies; we enjoy the fellowship with the community and each other; we are doing what God wants us to do. Eleven-year-old Adam Thatcher recently joined ACS. “I like to give food to people who need it,” he said. “I feel very good about it.” ____________________ By Tanya Clay
Northern California Conference
Oakland Market Street church members deliver hot meals and other necessities to unhoused people in Alameda County. Oakland Market Street Church Oakland Market Street church members serve their community by delivering hot meals from local restaurants to unhoused residents throughout Alameda County. Recently, when a local food distributor shut down, the church was asked to partner with Alameda County Food-Poole and the nonprofit organization Preventative Care Pathways located in the Dr. James A. Watson Wellness Center. “Everyone deserves to have food, and no one should have to go to bed hungry,” said Margaret (Margo) Williams-Cohen, the project’s director of food administration and distribution. “It is an absolute honor and privilege to feed God’s people.” In addition to food, volunteers distribute other items to help improve the lives of unhoused people. Recently, a local dentist donated 864 bags of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss; a law firm purchased 2,140 bottles of water; and a community member gave 1,600 bags of utensils and two huge boxes of toilet paper. Williams-Cohen is assisted by recording secretary/ deliverer Monique Chancellor, Bible worker Michael Jones, and a team of volunteers with servant hearts. “Many blessed hands—from the five-star restaurants to our committed volunteers and drivers—are working hard to serve the new homeless, on the rise from the impact of the pandemic,” said Chancellor. ____________________ By Julie Lorenz Sacramento Capitol City Church Temperatures in Sacramento have soared to more than 110 degrees this summer—record heat that endangers unhoused people and anyone without air conditioning. In partnership with the city and county, the Sacramento Capitol City church opened up a cooling center in its fellowship hall, which can accommodate up to 80 people with distance between them for safety. A local government agency provides snacks, water, and some volunteers.
“People who come to the center are very appreciative,” said Carol Herbert, the church’s mission council leader. She observes how tired the guests are when they arrive and how happy they feel to rest in a cool place. One man sometimes entertains the other guests by playing the piano. “He lights up the whole room,” said Herbert. “When he plays, everyone gets excited about it.” Herbert has formed relationships with the community volunteers who help staff the center—taking temperatures, distributing masks, and cleaning. She is grateful for their help and eager to share more about her church. “The volunteers come in and are excited to work,” she said. “They are so impressed with what we are doing, and they ask questions about who we are.” ____________________ By Julie Lorenz
The Sacramento Capitol City church operates a cooling center, staffed by volunteers, for unhoused people and others without air conditioning.
Northern California Conference
September 2021 41
NCC’s Redwood Camp Meeting Held in Person
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PHOTO: WILLIE JOHNSON
PHOTO: JIM LORENZ
PHOTO: BERNADETTE JOHNSON
PHOTO: ED FARGUSSON
PHOTO: BERNADETTE JOHNSON
ore than 900 people attended Northern California Conference’s (NCC) Redwood Camp Meeting, which was divided into two six-day sessions between July 19-31. Compared with previous years, the event was very simple. The grocery store, cafeteria, ministry booths, and other amenities were closed. Gary Venden, senior pastor of the Glendale church in Arizona, and Lee Venden, Arizona Conference revivalist, presented a series on the Book of John in an open-air pavilion with plenty of space for social distancing. “We were really blessed by the Vendens’ powerful presentations,” said Redwood Camp Meeting Director Harry Salvini. “Children and teens also received a blessing thanks to the top-notch, creative programs led by dedicated laypeople and pastors. In addition, many volunteers made this year’s camp meeting an inspiration and encouragement for all who attended.” Stay connected with the news and learn about plans for next year’s camp meeting at redwoodareacamp.com.
REDWOOD VOLUNTEERS HAVE SERVANT HEARTS! NCC leaders who attended this year’s camp meeting brought back stories of Redwood volunteers with servant hearts. Basil Oilar - security I had the privilege of working with an amazing gentleman whom I now call friend, Basil Oilar, a Eureka church member. We worked together for two weeks handling safety and security assignments. Basil surrendered his life to Jesus back in 2016 after receiving an impression that he would die if he didn’t change his life. He began his quest to follow the Lord by first attending an independent Sabbath-keeping church, but he eventually backslid into the world of drugs. Not long after this, the Holy Spirit led him to the Eureka church, where he met Pastor Roger Williams. Later he was invited to camp meeting, and he eventually began working with Williams, doing what he’s still doing—helping to provide safety and security. Brother Basil is an excellent pastry chef! (I sampled his pumpkin spice bread and his root
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Northern California Conference
work at camp meeting for six years. He told me that Redwood is a sanctuary for him. “Every time I come, I am changed,” said Ken (pictured on left with Camino/ Camino Spanish district Pastor Avi Mendoza). Although we usually think of camp meeting as a time of spiritual refreshment for church members, it can also serve a missional purpose. I think about the many grandparents—whose children are no longer church members—who bring their grandkids. I think about the people who have drifted away from God who come to Redwood to see old friends. I think about people, like Ken, who find it easier to go camping than to go to church. God is using Redwood to draw all these people to Himself. ____________________ By Jose Marin, executive secretary
PHOTO: JOSE MARIN
Elena Blum - children’s division Everyone who saw the gate leading to the children’s division for ages 5-9 was immediately drawn to the elaborate sets behind it. The division’s theme was “The Christian Journey,” focusing on the story of The Pilgrim’s Progress. The sets included Doubting Castle, Vanity Fair, the Celestial City, and more. Each day, the kids acted out part of the story and also learned about the armor of God. High school sophomore Elena Blum served as the division’s assistant director. (Her mom, Coreena, was the director.) Elena worked on all aspects of the program, including planning, setting up, and teaching. “Seeing it all come together was pretty cool,” she said. She enjoyed creating the “Bible Museum,” which featured likenesses of David’s slingshot, the forbidden fruit, the jawbone of a donkey, and other items from familiar stories. Every day, the children spent four and a half hours in the division, rotating through various stations. I am sure they won’t forget how much fun they had learning about Jesus. “I want the kids to have good memories of camp meeting,” said Elena, a member of the Manteca church. “I loved it here when I was little. Camp meeting was my favorite part of the summer.” ____________________ By Jim Lorenz, ministerial director Ken Eastburn - pumper truck At this year’s camp meeting, I had the opportunity to talk with Ken Eastburn, who drives the pumper truck. Although he is not a member of the Adventist Church, he has been doing this
PHOTO: SAL ALVARADO
PHOTO: MONTELL SNYDER
beer cake.) He provides cake of some sort every week for the Eureka church potluck. “Preparing food for my church gives me another purpose for service in my Christian walk,” he told me. Redwood Camp Meeting is a little safer with Basil around because he is committed and passionate about caring for the people of God. ____________________ By Willie Johnson, African American ministries coordinator/urban ministries director
Richard and Duane Dederer - heavy equipment I appreciate Richard (pictured in red) and Duane Dederer—members of the Redding church. Each summer, they arrive a week before camp meeting starts and stay until a week after. They drive the backhoe, tractor, forklift, and cherry picker. They’ve built bridges, repaired buildings, dug trenches, trimmed trees, and more! They are willing to do whatever the camp requires—always with a smile. These men have a strong desire to serve the Lord, and they love people. The brothers were raised in a farming family in Canada, and their father taught them to drive tractors and all kinds of agricultural equipment. Nearly 40 years ago, after they had moved to the Redding area, they heard that Redwood had a lot of energetic elderly volunteers but needed younger workers. They offered to help in any way they could, and they have not missed a camp meeting since 1983. They now serve on the Redwood board of directors. “We are very passionate every year to have the campground ready for the campers,” said Richard, who is 80 years old. “We don’t mind driving 200-plus miles from home to serve the community that comes to the meetings,” said Duane, who is 79. “We enjoy helping people.” ____________________ By Sal Alvarado, ABC Manager
Northern California Conference
September 2021 43
Meshach Soli Ordination
Summer Ordinations in Southeastern California Conference
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rdination is a public recognition that you have a call from the Lord,” said Luis Carlos, associate pastor at the La Sierra Spanish church. Though Carlos has been serving as a minister since the mid-90s and is now preparing for retirement within the next year, he was never publicly recognized with an ordination for his service until this year. On June 19, 2021, Carlos and his wife, Gloria, gathered with church members, friends, and fellow pastors for his official ordination.
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Luis Carlos Ordination
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Southeastern California Conference
“I was grateful to be able to celebrate with everyone,” he said. Since 1985, when he was hired by the Central California Conference, Carlos has pastored in San Jose, San Diego, Vista, and Riverside, and he has taught at several schools, including Bella Vista Academy in Puerto Rico. “People are my favorite part of what I do,” he said. He demonstrates this every day, managing several areas at his church in addition to the typical pastoral duties, including children’s ministry, men’s ministry, and Sabbath School. He even directs both the children’s and youth choirs. “Even in my retirement I’ll find a way to remain involved,” Carlos confirmed, “because it truly brings meaning to my life.” Meshach Soli, pastor at San Diego South Bay church, who was ordained on July 11, also finds it rewarding to connect in various ways with people. “We just started a paddleboard ministry,” he explained. “At the beach, when people ask about renting the boards, we love watching their faces as we tell them we’re offering free lessons through our church. It’s such a wonderful way to connect with people, and these relational experiences really enhance our church.” Soli has been pastoring for nearly 14 years, all of them in the Southeastern California Conference (SECC). And it
“We want our pastors to know we’re here to support them, and that they have the tools they need in order to thrive.” all started two days after he was baptized in his late 20s. “My pastor asked me to lead in the youth room, and I agreed,” Soli recalled. “A year into it, I told my wife, ‘I could do this forever!’ And the next thing we know, I’m being laid off from my longtime job as a truck driver and God’s sending me off to La Sierra University to study religion.” Soli’s wife, Linda, and their five sons, Marley (22), Isaac (20), Zion (10), Gideon (8), and Judah (4), all played significant roles in his ordination. The event was based on 1 Corinthians 1:27, in which Paul talks about God using the foolish and weak things of the world to shame the wise and the proud so no one can boast. “God could have chosen anyone, and He chose me,” Soli said with awe. “My ordination wasn’t about me—it was about God. I was just blessed to be a small part of what He’s already doing.” Much like Soli, Jeffrey Harper, associate pastor at both Mentone and Arden Hills church, didn’t set out to be a pastor. “I always thought I’d go into medicine,” he said. “But during my junior year of academy, a taskforce chaplain from Walla Walla University had a huge impact on my life.” After a year working in his academy chaplain’s office, Harper enrolled at college as a religion major, and the rest is history. Today Harper is also a husband and father, both roles he takes as seriously as he does his pastoral one. He does his best to ensure there is time for his family every day, and sometimes that time overlaps with church Jeffrey Harper Ordination
Will Penick Ordination ministry. His wife, Nickele, and their children, Judah (5), Levi (3), and Eden (1), accompany him to visit church members from time to time. “They love seeing my kids, and it’s good for the kids to not only see their parents serving others but to be part of ministry themselves,” he said. “I love Jesus, and it’s an honor to serve him. God has a place for everyone to work in His vineyard, and we can all pool our resources to share His love with the world.” Resources are exactly what Will Penick, ordained as associate ministerial director for the SECC on May 1, is focused on—specifically, providing resources for around 205 conference pastors. For the past four years, Penick has served with his wife, Connie, and daughter, Ariella (2), as pastor for the Chula Vista church. He previously served at other churches in various capacities during his eight-year journey to getting his M.Div. degree. “My call to ministry was a little dramatic,” Penick said. He was headed down a completely different path, having already achieved a degree in psychology and nearly completed his master’s in business administration. “I was getting ready to open an office, and in that process I just felt this strong conviction that was almost anxiety,” he recalled. “With it came a thought: ‘Will, I want you to go into pastoral ministry.’” Penick argued with God a lot over this. “I had my own plans, and I didn’t want to be a pastor,” he said. “Once I surrendered, though, a voice in my mind very clearly said I was making the right choice.” Penick doesn’t want to create programs just to say he’s doing something; rather, he wants to partner with God in meeting the needs of SECC pastors. “Sometimes pastors feel isolated and alone,” he said. “We want our pastors to know we’re here to support them, and that they have the tools they need in order to thrive.” ____________________ By Becky St. Clair
Southeastern California Conference
September 2021 45
Snapshots from the Summer of Ministry
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he church members in Southeastern California Conference seized many opportunities for outreach, evangelism, and ministry this summer. Vacation Bible Schools, student literature evangelism, and Family Camps at Pine Springs Ranch spelled fun and fellowship for those craving connections and needing spiritual encouragement.
PHOTOS: JEREMIAH GREEN
Vacation Bible Schools engage families in ministry Churches operating Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) once again welcomed young people for in-person, drivethrough, and virtual programs. In Grand Terrace, the Azure Hills church hosted VBS via their YouTube channel, supplying participants with shirts and activity bags during a drive-through VBS pick-up. The Mt. Rubidoux church hosted two weekend drive-through versions of the Rocky Railway VBS at their Riverside campus and in Moreno Valley. Stations included games, snacks, and a prayer booth, as well as a gift shop and rides on a five-cart train. “Not only did the children from our church have a great time, but we had families from the community that attended,” shared Jeremiah Green, associate pastor
Members of the Mt. Rubidoux church help host one of their weekend drive-through Rocky Railway VBS programs. for children at Mt. Rubidoux. “Thanks to all those who volunteered their time and energy to make this event a success!” Church member involvement played a crucial role at the Arden Hills church in Highland, where they welcomed more than 30 young people to their five-day, in-person
PHOTO: AZURE HILLS CHURCH
Young people receive their shirts and activity bags during the Azure Hills church VBS pick-up.
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Southeastern California Conference
PHOTO: ERIC ISAIA
The summer 2021 student literature evangelism team.
VBS program in July. One church member, Ben Garver, decided to stream the program on Facebook for kids to watch from home. “Ben had a tripod that he connected to his phone, and he would run around to the different groups and provide commentary, helping to make it fun,” said Jeff Harper, pastor at Arden Hills. One young person watching from home was a sevenyear-old girl who, because of health challenges, had previously never participated in VBS programs. “My friend texted me saying, ‘Thank you so much! My daughter watches it in the mornings, so she gets to see what it is like,’” shared Crystal, Garver’s wife. “I brought crafts over to their house so they can participate. We had the capability to put it up online, and the cool thing is that it blessed someone.”
Family Camps at Pine Springs Ranch Through modifications, the ministry of summer camp was able to return to Pine Springs Ranch (PSR). A task force of summer camp veterans with knowledge in the medical and ministry fields crafted four weeks of safe camp experiences. Starting on Wednesdays and running through Sundays, PSR hosted up to 30 families for five days of fellowship, worship, and connection in the great outdoors. Family cohorts rotated through outdoor activities, including archery, go-karts, and horseback riding—the first time PSR has had horseback riding since 2013. Also included in the schedule: nap times! “In case you haven't had one in a while,” the camp shared on their website. “One family told me that this was the best vacation they’ve ever had together,” said Carmen Ibanez, executive director at PSR. “They appreciated the chance to do activities together, to laugh and have fun.” ____________________ By Faith Hoyt
PHOTO: PINE SPRINGS RANCH
Student literature evangelism thrives amid challenges The opportunity to bless others is a driving force for those participating in student literature evangelism—and until mid-May, it was uncertain what would happen to the summer program. With two weeks to prepare, the leadership team praised God for providing everything needed to accommodate 12 students in their modified program. Though prepared for a hesitant reception at doors, the team witnessed more openness and interest than ever before. Many showed gratitude to the students who offered to pray for them and encourage them during this difficult and uncertain time. “We met many people who lost family members to COVID and were personally
affected by the pandemic,” shared Eric Isaia, assistant student literature evangelism director. “Many of them thanked our students for praying with them, and for leaving positive, uplifting, and hopeful literature with them.” Though the smallest student literature program for the conference, participants set a record high for scholarship earnings in the history of the conference’s Youth Rush summer program. “We have been able to put more literature into homes than in any previous summer,” Isaia shared. “We have seen that ministry is needed and desired more than ever before. Now is the time to seek and save the hurting, confused, and lost!”
A few of the summer camp veterans who made up the Pine Springs Ranch task force. Thanks to them, PSR hosted four weeks of safe and fun Family Camp experiences.
Southeastern California Conference
September 2021 47
PHOTOS: MONICA GIRON
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Temple City Church Turns VBS Week Into One Day
fter many churches held their first virtual Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs last year, or made the decision to cancel it all together, this year’s return to VBS continued to spark innovation as churches sought to offer this children’s ministry in meaningful, yet safe, ways. This summer, parents and kids from Temple City church came together for a VBS Carnival day of crafts, games, and fellowship. “We actually weren’t sure what we were going to do, because not a lot of people are back at church,” said Marilyn Ellis, co-VBS leader. “We had the pastor send out a survey to members and the community by text and email. We got a small response back.” With the survey feedback in mind, Ellis and co-VBS leader Monica Giron anticipated a smaller turnout compared to previous years, but they knew it was important to have a program for the kids, especially
Notice of Southern California Conference Special Constituency Session Please take notice that a Special Constituency Session of the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is called to convene as follows: Location: Meeting will be held virtually.
since they were unable to last year. They decided to create one day of VBS instead of a full week, and the VBS Carnival was born. About 20 children and their parents attended this year’s VBS Carnival. The smaller group format allowed everyone to spend the day together in the fellowship hall, instead of dividing the kids by age into different rooms. Though this year’s program looked different, Ellis and Giron saw that it was a fun day for the kids. “The kids loved it,” said Giron. “They had a blast.” Parents also appreciated this event. “I truly enjoyed the effort and friendship VBS brought to our children,” said parent Jorje Torres. “The time spent visiting God via crafts and games was a true blessing for our children and neighbors.” “VBS this year was short, but fun nonetheless,” said parent Tim Mosquera. “It was such a blessing, especially during the pandemic, to be able to play with kids young and old, to see and hear their giggles, and to reconnect with church family members.” Ellis and Giron, who have worked together as VBS leaders for more than five years, hope to return to the full VBS program next year, but they were satisfied with this year’s carnival. “We like doing it,” added Giron. “We’re here for the kids and the parents.” ___________________ By Araya Moss
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2021 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The purpose of this session is to receive a comprehensive report from the Ad Hoc Region Structure Evaluation Committee, with the committee’s assessment and analysis. Delegates are invited to join with the SCC Prayer Team for prayer from 8:00 – 8:50 a.m. Velino A. Salazar, President John H. Cress, Executive Secretary
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ABOVE: One child shows her face painting. LEFT: Kids line up to get a balloon animal.
PHOTOS: COMPTON COMMUNITY CHURCH
FAR LEFT: Taimi kicks off the first Youth Explosion Sabbath, emphasizing the “Same God” theme: “The God who was with us pre-pandemic has got a plan for us post-pandemic.” LEFT: Each Sabbath featured uplifting music by a different young adult praise and worship team.
Compton Community Church Recognizes ‘Same God’ at 28th Annual Youth Explosion
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his summer, Compton Community church celebrated its 28th annual Youth Explosion event. For four Sabbaths in July, the youth and young adults oversaw the worship service, from praise music to prayer, from guest speakers to youth spotlights. Youth Explosion began in 1993 as part of the Compton Community Youth Club developed by Rochon Starks, Compton Community church youth leader, who has been working with the youth for more than 30 years. This year’s theme, “Same God,” alluded to that legacy. “The same God that started in 1993 is the same God today,” Rochon said at this year’s first Youth Explosion Sabbath in July, “and it’s the same God who will deliver you to tomorrow.” Members and friends of Compton Community church gathered for either a drive-in worship on campus or a livestreamed service online. Each week, a youth spotlight recognized a youth’s accomplishments, such as Kylynn Estrada, who wrote a book called Fab 5 based on superheroes experiencing spiritual gifts, or Jada Vernon, who has her own baking company making custom desserts. Guest speakers included Iki Taimi, Southern California Conference senior youth and young adult ministries director; Gamal Alexander, Compton Community church senior pastor; Terrance O’Bryant, Compton Community church youth pastor; and Jerrold
Thompson, San Bernardino Community church senior pastor. This year's Youth Explosion event was especially meaningful. “It was important this year because we’re all struggling through things,” said Imri Starks, a senior youth living in Florida but visiting her Compton Community church family this summer. “We’ve all lost our sense of community, but it’s important to remember that God is still with us through this time.” Africa Saison, a former youth participant who was running sound for the program, acknowledged the impact of this event these past 28 years—and today. “The same God who has been with us when it started when I was a teenager,” she said, “is the same God who can get us through the pandemic, encourage us, and keep us safe.” Last summer’s Youth Explosion was just one week long, taking place outside in the church parking lot, when churches first paused in-person gatherings to meet online at the height of the pandemic. This year's event marked the beginning of the drive-in services at Compton Community church that continue today. “Our church recently voted to stay outside indefinitely,” Rochon added. “The word of God is getting out to the community, and we’re not doing anything but having church.” ___________________ By Araya Moss
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PHOTOS: VALLEJO DRIVE CHURCH FACEBOOK
FAR LEFT: Church members of all ages volunteered to pack the eight barrels to be sent to Belize.
PHOTO: ASH REYNOLDS
MIDDLE: Ben Guerrero, associate pastor of Vallejo Drive church, chooses a child to read to and get to know during the eightweek reading program. LEFT: Reynolds decorates a barrel.
Vallejo Drive Church and Read & Feed Belize Embark on Mission Trip From Home
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hough travel is often a central component of overseas mission work, Vallejo Drive church reimagined the mission trip experience this summer in light of COVID travel restrictions. Through 30 minutes a week of reading and sharing virtually, an eight-week mission trip reading adventure connected families with children in Belize. The at-home mission trip is part of a three-year project with Read & Feed Belize, a nonprofit ministry founded by Vallejo Drive church young adult member Ash Reynolds, which seeks to provide adequate health, quality education, and religious services to impoverished children and the elderly in Belize. What started with fundraising efforts nearly three years ago has “become deeper and more personal as we’ve started interacting with the kids,” said Linda Biswas, Vallejo Drive church associate pastor for outreach and community, who has more than 10 years of experience in missionary work. “With most mission trips, sometimes people forget what their objective is and think it’s just to build the church or the school, forgetting that that’s just the tool God’s given them to reach the people,” she said. “Our objective is to get to know someone and share Jesus.” Preparation for the mission trip was a collaborative effort among members and friends of the church: More than 20 people paired with children to read to in Belize; many prayed over this mission trip; others donated masks, electronic devices, peanut butter, books, plush toys, sanitizer, and a printer that were packed in eight large barrels and shipped to Belize;
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and kids even decorated the barrels with artwork and uplifting messages. Reynolds will meet the barrels when they arrive in Belize to coordinate the start of the reading program. While on the ground, she will also work with volunteers in Belize to help the kids create care packages from items in the barrels so they can practice service by sharing the packages with families in need in their own communities. The goal of the mission trip became twofold: to build a relationship with the students and to share the importance of service. “We want them to feel like it wasn’t just us serving them,” Biswas said, “but that they are able to serve others as well.” “I believe that we’re all called to serve one another,” Reynolds added. “Christ came to serve. We should follow His example.” Although the mission trip was set to take place in July and August, it was pushed back a few weeks due to COVID-related shipment delays of the barrels. However, the mission work still moves forward. “When I think about how this will impact the community and village years in the future, I can’t rest; it’s heavy on my heart,” Reynolds said. “It’s beautiful what can happen when people work together.” For more information or if you would like to get involved with the Read & Feed ministry, visit https://readandfeedbelize.org/. ____________________ By Araya Moss
SCC Pursues Innovation During a Difficult Time
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his pandemic taught us that ministry is not static; the way we worship, fellowship, and study together looks dramatically different than it did two years ago. Much of our church experience changed in the blink of an eye. With this perspective, a conversation early in the pandemic between John H. Cress, Southern California Conference (SCC) executive secretary, and Iki Taimi, SCC senior youth and young adult ministries director, sparked an idea. Many of our pastors had been thrust into circumstances they were not trained for. “How could the conference best support these pastors?” they asked themselves. By answering that question, the SCC Digital Ministry Support Network (DMSN) was born. “We want to help our churches expand their digital footprint in a significant way in their communities,” Cress said. “Our goal was to provide a place where pastors could find resources and gain the understanding they need to do that.” The DMSN committee came to include Tim Cress, pastor of North Hills church and committee chair; John Cress; Taimi; Lauren Lacson, SCC communication director; and Danny Chan, SCC L.A. Metro Region director. “During this unprecedented ministry season, many pastors have felt isolated and uncertain about how to adapt to ministry post-COVID,” Chan stated. “Many have struggled to find answers to the question the pandemic has raised about their unique ministry contexts. As society becomes increasingly digital, having a network of support through these uncertain times to help address their digital media needs is essential and is sure to be useful in years to come.” A DMSN Facebook group brought SCC pastors together, and the team began hosting weekly livestreamed trainings in January 2021. The trainings featured various guests, diverse topics, and practical, hands-on instruction. “Technology is used in so many spaces, but not much of the conversation is centered around moving the gospel forward and empowering our churches to accomplish their mission more effectively,” Tim Cress noted. “This group takes a pastoral approach to learning
(Clockwise from top left) Tim Cress, Lacson, Taimi, and Chan share practical tips and tricks during the first DMSN training livestream. so that whatever is covered can be implemented more directly and more quickly.” With brief videos, practical guides, and peer-topeer collaboration, the group has brought needed information to pastors without requiring a large time commitment. “The most valuable aspect of this group is the practicality and accessibility it gives to pastors on tech and ministry,” Taimi said, explaining the research and time usually required to find this information. “This group has worked to be a CliffsNotes version for any ministry leader trying to engage in this new digital landscape.” While the pandemic was the springboard for this group, the network’s benefits will continue long after. “This type of support and training is not just for COVID times,” Lacson said. “Digital ministry is going to be with us beyond this pandemic, and we have to continue to integrate these tools. Ministry in our churches has changed forever.” DMSN will continue, recognizing that this is not a static ministry. “We are currently transitioning, but that does not mean we are going away,” John Cress stated. The committee is working to meet needs more specifically moving forward, maybe on a different platform. Learn more at https://scc.adventist.org/dmsn. ____________________ By SCC Digital Ministry Support Network Committee
DMSN mission statement Exalting Christ by networking practical digital strategies to nurture relationships in our diverse churches and communities as they provide online content, care and connection.
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D E P A R T M E N T S
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Newsdesk this month is devoted to the five-year retrospectives from the institutions and departments of the Pacific Union, who are nurturing discipleship and spiritual growth and reaching out to the communities of the Pacific Southwest.
ADVENTIST COMMUNITY SERVICES
Demonstrating God’s Love to Those in Need
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ver the past five years, congregations throughout the Pacific Union Conference have continued to show tremendous compassion toward the vulnerable, both responding to ongoing needs and providing targeted disaster relief through Adventist Community Services (ACS). The regular services ACS provides for those in need include centers that supply clothes, food, computer access, and community gardens. Training sessions are designed to develop ministry leaders, provide credentials for volunteers, and equip emotional and spiritual care providers. Young people are invited into a life of service through Pathfinder Community Service honors. These activities help make our communities healthier and better places and show the love of Christ in action. ACS is also ready to respond to disasters, both in the territory of the Pacific Union and beyond. Recent examples include the eruption of Kilauea in Hawaii, which destroyed 700 family homes; massive fires in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, which burned 3.2 million acres over the past four years; the immigrant crisis on the southern United States border; and the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the volcano and fires, ACS helped church members provide meals, along with
emotional and spiritual care. Adventist facilities were used to distribute food and provide shelter, while donations of kitchen and cleaning supplies helped people begin to rebuild their lives. Immigrants entering the United States and housed at a shelter in Tijuana received thousands of blankets. Personal protective equipment (PPE), along with other supplies worth more than four million dollars, were distributed throughout the territory of the Pacific Union in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including to nonprofits outside the church network. Every employee, church member, and student received a mask. Teachers were given the extra protection of shields, and hand sanitizer was provided to all community service operations. Adventist Health received truckloads of supplies for use in hospitals and clinics and assistance with COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. ACS also provided support in response to hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, and disasters in other regions over the past five years, including Flint, Michigan, which suffered a long-standing water crisis. The Pacific Union is committed to supporting a wide array of community services initiatives that demonstrate God’s love and kindness to those in need. ____________________
Charlene Sargent is the director of Adventist Community Services for the Pacific Union Conference.
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CHURCH STATE COUNCIL
Working on Behalf of Religious Liberty
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eligious liberty is more than a department or ministry of the church. It is a value integral to Adventist identity. For more than a century, the Seventh-day Adventist commitment to religious liberty has been a significant global witness to a Creator whose love requires freedom. For 58 years, the Church State Council has been the public face of religious liberty in the Pacific Union Conference, focusing on three primary activities: education, legislative advocacy, and legal services. Education is crucial to religious freedom. The Council raises funds to promote the distribution of Liberty magazine to influential thought leaders at both local and national levels. Council speakers conduct sermons and seminars, including mini evangelistic series, on the pressing religious liberty and prophetic issues of the day. Executive Director Alan Reinach serves as co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Religious Liberty Committee and on a California Employment Lawyers Association committee, speaking and organizing seminars for lawyers nationally and regionally. Freedom’s Ring Radio, a 15-minute weekly broadcast, is currently in its 23rd year of production. Legislative Director Dennis Seaton, assisted by Natalie Eva, monitors thousands of bills in the five states of the Pacific Union Conference, as well as in Congress, and advocates for religious freedom when necessary. Bills in recent years have included those threatening the eligibility of students attending Adventist colleges and universities to receive Cal Grants. The Council achieved a major win in California with the enactment of a regulation requiring employers to inform job applicants not to disclose their unavailability to work at certain days or times due to their religion.
While many faith-based organizations protect their own interests, Adventists uniquely work for everyone’s religious liberty. The Church State Council provides legal services to both Seventhday Adventist church members and those of other faiths as a demonstration of our commitment to defend the religious freedom of all people. Our church’s reputation in this regard is both national and global. Significant recent victories include a ruling in the Tenth Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals on behalf of two Seventh-day Adventists who were fired from a Morningstar Farms plant in Clearfield, Utah, and a 2020 appellate victory in California on behalf of an Adventist woman whose application to work as a correctional officer was rejected because of her Sabbath observance. In the past five years, the Council has settled every case that has closed—and returned 100% of the costs to the treasury. Council staff leverage their efforts by recruiting experienced employment lawyers to help, and they have provided thousands of hours of pro bono services to Council clients. More work will be necessary in the future in areas such as Christian Nationalism, the conflict between LGBTQ rights and religious liberty, the meaning of religious liberty, vaccine passports, social justice, and church involvement in public affairs. ____________________
Alan J. Reinach, Esq. is the executive director of the Church State Council.
In the past five years, the Council has settled every case that has closed—and returned 100% of the costs to the treasury.
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CHURCH SUPPORT SERVICES
Supporting Churches with Innovative Ideas and Resources
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inistry today is profoundly different than it was a hundred years—or even just a decade or two—ago. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the changes in the way church is done even more dramatically, forcing church leaders to look for innovative responses to meet the needs of those who still need Jesus and Christian community. This is in keeping with the advice of Ellen White, who wrote, “Whatever may have been your former practice, it is not necessary to repeat it again and again in the same way. God would have new and untried methods followed. Break in upon the people—surprise them” (Evangelism, p.125). Church Support Services (CSS) focuses on just this—developing innovative ideas, resources, and people to help the church navigate an ever-changing world. The rapid pace of change all but guarantees that ministries and churches that are content with maintaining the status quo will cease to be relevant. Unconventional methodologies for nurture and outreach are necessary to allow Seventh-day Adventist churches to share Jesus with diverse communities and individuals. Within this scope, our mission is to develop curated contextualized content that informs and inspires pastors, church leaders, and members to use their best gifts to share the hope of a better life with their world.
One of the best ways to inspire, inform, and engage people is through storytelling. The power of a good story can be life changing. And there are scores of inspiring stories that need to be heard and shared. CSS produces short videos on a channel called Stories of Faith that show how God is using individual members and churches to build up His kingdom. “One story that stands out in my mind is about an effort that was made by Adventist Health, the local Adventist churches, and a couple out of Chico, California—Nancy and Nick Matthews, who taught cooking” said Rich DuBose, director of CSS. “Because in losing their homes the fire victims had lost their ability to cook nutritious meals, the idea emerged that people could be taught how to use Instapots to prepare quality meals without a lot of effort or space. Classes were scheduled and a supply of Instapots were secured that were then given to those who registered. It turned into a highly popular class that was repeated several times, and many families were blessed with tasty, yet healthy meals during an extremely difficult time.” In addition to producing videos, CSS also distributes content through electronic newsletters, websites, and social media. These resources are available on the Church Support Services website (https://churchsupportservices.org), which serves as an online resource center with a library of short articles, videos, and tips for nurture and outreach ministry. Direct links are also provided, along with a
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D E P A R T M E N T S brief description of each resource, below: 1. When People are Kind: A web resource promoting compassion as a primary approach to bringing Christ to the world and encouraging Adventist members and churches to embrace compassion as their defining character trait. Visit https:// whenpeoplearekind.org. 2. Answers for Me: A website offering practical support for everyday life, including family issues, health, first-person stories, resources for spiritual growth (including 16 interactive Bible study guides), a section called “Corona Diaries,” vegetarian recipes, and more. Visit https://answersforme.org. 3. Adventist Society for the Arts (ASA): An initiative (originally known as inSpire) that
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promotes using the creative arts to bring good to life within our churches and communities. Visit https://adventistsocietyforthearts.org. 4. TechApplied: A Facebook group for those involved with implementing media technologies in their local churches, sharing tips and offering networking opportunities. Visit https://www.churchsupportservices.org/ category/tech-applied/. 5. SpiritRenew: A free iPhone/Android smartphone app that provides devotional content as well as resources for family life, health, and more. Visit https://answersforme. org/free-app/. ____________________
Richard DuBose is the director of Church Support Services.
COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Story of God’s Providence and Leadership
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he story of Adventism in the Pacific Southwest is one of God’s providence and leadership. It is the privilege of the Department of Communication and Community Engagement to share this story with our members and the communities we serve. Perhaps the most visible aspect of the work of our department is publishing the Pacific Union Recorder. For the entire history of the Pacific Union (120 years), this journal has documented how God is leading and blessing the work of the Seventhday Adventist church in the Pacific Southwest. The Recorder is sent via mail to the homes of our members, with a monthly circulation of roughly 70,000. In addition to a rigorous and far-reaching
rethinking of the magazine’s format and design over the last five years, a quarterly Spanish-language version of the Recorder was added in 2019. Further expanding this ministry, the “Recorder Plus” is an online aggregated version of the bi-monthly conference newsletters that is currently under development. “All God’s People” is the weekly video program that is produced by our department. We are now in our fifth season and have produced more than 200 weekly episodes since our first episode in May 2017. A new program is released every Friday, accompanied by “The Bulletin,” which includes links to stories, events, and news from churches, schools, conferences, and institutions throughout the Pacific Union. We added “Pacific Continued on next page Sunrise” to our media
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D E P A R T M E N T S mix in 2018. The web-based newsletter provides a window into our schools, churches, and ministries and is focused on the myriad of inspiring stories that are happening every single day. Pacific Sunrise has been particularly useful in telling the story of Adventist Education here in the Pacific Union. The web address for the Pacific Union Conference is adventistfaith.com. It is an information hub for all of our ministries and a repository for archives and media. It is the primary environment online in which we share the stories and news of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Pacific Southwest. Newsdesk is a cross-platform news service that can be found on our social media, on the website, and in the Recorder. It is our fastest growing media platform, bringing news and stories that impact the Pacific Union Conference and our members across all media platforms. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter continue to command a great deal of attention from both our members and the general public. During the last four years, we have worked diligently to create a social media presence that makes our media products immediately available on desktop and mobile devices. In partnership with the Ministerial Association, it has been particularly rewarding to bring Oak & Acorn Publishing to life, focusing on books for our pastors, local church leaders, and members. The books that are published explore some of the most important topics of interest and concern to Adventists. There have been more than a dozen titles in English and Spanish published since Oak & Acorn was established in 2017.
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The websites maintained by our churches and schools have greater potential to help connect ministries to members and communities. We are in the midst of a massive renewal of these sites— addressing who is using them, what is working, what our visitors are looking for, what our churches and schools want, what has the greatest appeal, and what can be done to maximize their effectiveness. PUC+ is a project to bring the media products produced by our seven conferences and our various ministries onto the nearly 1,000 websites that link our churches and schools to their various audiences. We are privileged to work with the departments, conferences, churches, schools, and institutions that make up the Pacific Union. The communication and media management and development services and tools provided by our department include strategic communication, reputation management, crisis communication, guidelines for branding and identity, an editorial stylebook, public media strategies, social media strategies, communication and media training, mission and message guidelines, and special projects. The opportunity to live out the gospel with a unique Adventist character has never been more relevant. The Department of Communication and Community Engagement is committed to creating media tools for engagement and evangelism that can be effectively used in telling the story of Jesus and fulfilling the gospel commission. ____________________
Ray Tetz is the director of Communication and Community Engagement for the Pacific Union Conference.
The opportunity to live out the gospel with a unique Adventist character has never been more relevant.
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OFFICE OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Preparing Citizens for the World to Come
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n the book Education, Ellen White tells us, “’Something better’ is the watchword of education, the law of all true living” (p. 296). This goal guides the ministry of the Pacific Union Conference Office of Education as we provide leadership to the K-12 schools and early childhood education centers operated by the various conferences. The following elements are some of the ways we seek to impart “something better” to our precious students. Ongoing professional learning for teachers The Office of Education provides several professional learning opportunities for teachers. Each fall, a workshop is held specifically for teachers in the small schools (one, two, or three teachers). Secondary teachers meet by subject area on a six-year rotation. In the past five years, an additional secondary teacher rotation connects teachers in academies with the teachers at Pacific Union College and La Sierra University. In alternating years, a workshop is held for the directors of early childhood centers throughout the Pacific Union. Strengthening the expertise of educational leaders Research indicates that the principal is the individual who has the most significant impact on student achievement. We are committed to training our school leaders and potential school leaders. During the past five years, we have seen many principals complete either a master’s degree or Education Specialist degree from La Sierra University. The Office of Education continues to participate financially with individuals seeking graduate degrees in administration.
Education councils Twice each year, the Office of Education facilitates an education council for all principals and conference education personnel, as well as representatives from Pacific Union College and La Sierra University. The primary purpose of these meetings is to provide professional development and training for our school leaders. Professional speakers are engaged to make presentations of general interest, and breakout sessions are provided. Topics have included serving students with special learning needs, addressing mental health issues for students and teachers, and marketing Adventist Education. Intentional opportunities are provided for principals to share with their colleagues about successful ideas. In addition, professional books are provided to principals, and they are encouraged to continue learning. Early childhood education In addition to the 113 elementary and secondary schools in the Pacific Union, the Office of Education coordinates approximately 25 early childhood centers. The North American Division continues to address the development of a faith-based curriculum for the whole child. As the curriculum is released, the Pacific Union Conference Office provides training to the teachers. A significant development in the early childhood centers has been the implementation of an accreditation process. The Adventist Accrediting Association provides the centers with the opportunity to complete a self-study and participate in a peer-review process that analyzes whether the center meets and maintains defined standards. Currently, one of the early childhood centers, Mauna Loa Continued on next page Preschool, has become
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D E P A R T M E N T S accredited. It is anticipated that more centers will begin the process very soon.
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Standards-based learning We believe that every student in a Seventhday Adventist school must have the opportunity to learn. However, all students do not learn in the same way, nor do they learn within the same time frames. The Office of Education continues to provide training for teachers to individualize the education experience. The North American Division has developed standards for each subject and grade level; building on these standards, teachers are working together at their local schools to customize the measures of proficiency to ensure that students achieve at their optimum level. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) After decades of utilizing the same standardized testing program, the North American Division shifted to a computer-based test that can provide immediate feedback to the student and the teacher. In addition, testing three times during the
Believing in the education of all students in Seventh-day Adventist schools, we exist to inspire the continual improvement of students and educators to become “something better” (Education, p. 296). We inspire a climate of improvement by: • enhancing the effectiveness of teachers, • strengthening the expertise of educational leaders, • coordinating a cohesive school system. And... we cooperate in preparing citizens for this world and the world to come.
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school year instead of just once allows the teacher and student to collaborate on the most effective learning program for each student. The Office of Education provides training to all teachers in the administration of MAP and the application of the reports provided for each student. Robotics As students prepare to be citizens of this world, it is essential to provide them with the necessary skills. In the 21st century, students must understand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). One of the ways many schools choose to provide this experience is through robotics. They can participate with other schools in robotics challenge activities. The Office of Education has provided matching grants to more than 40 schools to implement a robotics program. Student leadership conferences Student leaders from junior and senior academies in the Pacific Union participate in a leadership conference held each fall at Leoni Meadows Camp. The weekend includes spiritual messages, leadership training, and the opportunity to network with students from other schools. The approximately 200 student attendees exchange ideas for school activities and have the chance to connect with student missionaries serving around the world. Teacher education scholarships The national teacher shortage continues to be significant. Therefore, each year we grant teacher education scholarships to five graduating high school students who aspire to prepare for service as a teacher in Adventist Education. We celebrate with the three new teachers in our system and look forward to welcoming the 18 scholarship recipients who are still in their teacher education program. Pandemic response The Office of Education was significantly involved with coordinating a cohesive school system during
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The North American Division has developed standards for each subject and grade level; building on these standards, teachers are working together at their local schools to customize the measures of proficiency to ensure that students achieve at their optimum level. the many months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the school operation requirements varied widely from state to state and county to county, the Pacific Union Conference Office of Education served to provide as much consistent information as could be gleaned. The Office of Education also coordinated with several entities to facilitate donations of personal protective equipment to our schools. More importantly, we partnered with the North American Division and Versacare Foundation to ensure that all students in the Pacific Union had access to a digital device when face-to-face learning was not an option. As challenging as this time was, the teachers across our union demonstrated significant resilience, ongoing excellence in
education, and a desire to collaborate with their colleagues. Baptisms Nothing brings greater joy than when a young person chooses to follow Jesus. Teachers work closely with parents and pastors to provide students with opportunities to accept Jesus as their Savior and make a commitment to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We celebrate with the angels in heaven as we prepare students to be citizens of the world to come. ____________________
Berit von Pohle is the director of education for the Pacific Union Conference.
LITERATURE MINISTRIES
Opportunities for Ministry Experience
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LOW (Giving Light to Our World), Youth Rush, SOULS West, and missionary programs comprise the four primary ministry channels for literature ministries in the Pacific Union. Each has a slightly different focus and aims to meet specific needs. GLOW started in the Pacific Union in 2007 and has produced 124 million items for sharing. Globally,
these items have been printed in more than 70 languages, including Farsi, Mongolian, Tongan, and Swedish. “Million GLOW” mission trips allow Pacific Union members hands-on witnessing opportunities, and GLOW Impact Academy Edition weekends put young people to work distributing literature and interacting with people within local communities. Youth Rush summer programs provide Adventist youth and young adults with opportunities Continued on next page
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D E P A R T M E N T S for handson ministry experience though literature evangelism. Students learn how to approach people in a courteous, caring, authentic way, helping them make spiritual decisions. Over the past five years, more than 1,300 students visited nearly 5 million homes, delivered more than 800,000 digital and physical items worth more than $6.5 million, personally visited thousands of people interested in studying the Bible, left hundreds of thousands of Bible study interest cards, and earned more than $4 million, mostly to support their Adventist education. While primarily a personal contact ministry, Youth Rush continues to utilize technology to strengthen its outreach. A new, specially designed Youth Rush app, sponsored by the Pacific Union Conference and available to the NAD in 2022, will promote security and increase efficiency. SOULS West is an evangelism training school that offers mentored field experience as well as classroom instruction. The program integrates literature evangelism, medical outreach, personal evangelism, public evangelism meetings, and local
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church involvement, promoting discipleship and retention in the cycle of evangelism. The school provides an opportunity for Pacific Union youth who desire to exercise their spiritual gifting in literature work and personal evangelism. The last five years have seen an average of 46 students enroll each year. Students have assisted 36 local churches in the Pacific Union during their practical application segments, and many have been trained to work for Youth Rush programs. Some SOULS West graduates choose to put their training to use in a local church. Variously called Thrive, Full Circle, or CROSS Training, these programs provide trained, motivated young adults to local churches. During their term, the young people serve as Bible workers, work with evangelistic seminars, train members, and conduct health outreaches in cooperation with health professionals, boosting the evangelistic ministry of the Adventist Church’s most important unit—the local church. This work has resulted in hundreds of baptisms. ____________________
Bill Krick is the director of Literature Ministries for the Pacific Union Conference.
MINISTERIAL DEPARTMENT
Ministry in the Storms of Life
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ach minister of the gospel can recount that moment where the clarity of the divine invitation came to her or him with unequivocal clarity. The Pacific Union Conference is blessed to have over 700 clergy serving in districts, solo pastorates, or as part of a multi-staff congregation. In addition, we are blessed by the ministry of chaplains across our territory who serve the Lord in hospitals, prisons, and other locations. At no time in memory has ministry posed more
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of a challenge than during this time of COVID-19. But the creativity and commitment of our amazing pastoral leaders around the Pacific Union has persevered and risen to the occasion of this challenge with courage and wisdom. We thank the Lord for our dedicated ministers who continue to serve the kingdom with the heart of Jesus. The Ministerial Department exists as a support for the pastoral team of the union and the ministerial secretaries of the conferences. In cooperation with local conference leadership, it is our aim to serve in an educational, inspirational, and consultative capacity for pastors, churches,
D E P A R T M E N T S chaplains, and pastoral families. Several unionwide events, coordinated with the local conference ministerial departments, are designed to contribute to this work: Adventist WestPoint Adventist WestPoint meets annually for three days of inspiration and training, designed to strengthen the pastor’s calling and connection with Christ as well as to grow the local church. Over the past five years, hundreds of clergy leaders and local church leaders have gathered for this event to listen to seminars and inspiring sermons from the best in Adventist ministry. Spiritual batteries are recharged through uplifting worship, challenging messages from Scripture, practical teaching, and networking with others who believe that God is ready to do a “new thing” in our world. Each year, participants leave with a ministry toolkit for God to move their congregation from the sideline to the frontline of kingdom growth. Along with my wife, Jennifer Christian Newton, who serves as a volunteer Associate Secretary for the ministerial department, I share a wonderful joy and deepest appreciation when we gather with the fantastic leaders of the Pacific Union. Annual senior theology interviews Annual senior theology interviews connect our conference leaders with the outstanding graduating theology majors from the H. M. S. Divinity School of La Sierra University and the Department of Theology of Pacific Union College. The goal is to match these young ministerial graduates with local church
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job opportunities. We are always thankful for the support of local conferences in affirming the call of these men and women. It is with great appreciation that we recognize the excellent work of both our schools of higher education as they help organize these annual events and create such a warm and welcoming atmosphere when we come to their campuses. Union Ministerial Council The quinquennial Union Ministerial Council gathers our clergy to focus upon the key ministry opportunities and challenges that come to the life and work of the pastor. Our 2021 theme of “So Send I You” takes the servant leadership of Jesus as the Good Shepherd and applies it to today’s ministry context. Again, we are blessed by the speakers who will be sharing their gifts of the Spirit with all who gather on August 16-18 following the Union Constituency Session. The results of the interaction of pastors at this Council will inform the strategic direction for the union ministerial program in the coming five years. Ellen G. White declared, “The greatest work, the noblest effort, in which men can engage, is to point sinners to the Lamb of God. True ministers are co-laborers with the Lord in the accomplishment of His purposes” (Gospel Workers, p. 18). It is our prayer that by God’s grace, the life and ministry of our outstanding Pacific Union Conference ministerial team may fulfill this vision. ____________________
Bradford C. Newton is the executive secretary and the ministerial director of the Pacific Union Conference.
At no time in memory has ministry posed more of a challenge than during this time of COVID-19. But the creativity and commitment of our amazing pastoral leaders around the Pacific Union has persevered and risen to the occasion of this challenge with courage and wisdom.
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D E P A R T M E N T S
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TRUST SERVICES
Leaving a Lasting Impression
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ew events are as significant for both families and charitable organizations as estate planning. The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is deeply indebted to those individuals and families who prioritize the church when determining how to allocate their assets. The Department of Planned Giving and Trust Services at the Pacific Union Conference level primarily exists to offer support and education to conference-level directors. The department coordinates continuing education every other year for various Trust workers. This educational event, which is required by the General Conference (GC) and North American Division (NAD) to fulfill the certification program, attracts more than 100 attendees, providing them with the skills to approach this important and sensitive work appropriately in order to best serve the needs of both the organization and the families whose generosity so enriches the work of the church, both in North America and around the world. Trust services employees offer a unique ministry for the church because they may be the
last representatives from the church that family members will have contact with. When settling estates, the office emphasizes compassion with family and friends that will leave a lasting impression, reminding them of the gratitude their loved ones’ gifts have inspired in us and faith that we will use these resources responsibly and with great care. Planned Giving and Trust Services also provides a valuable resource for questions of policy and best practices when specific issues arise. One goal for the future is to create a specific marketing focus for the Pacific Union to create greater awareness of the service and confidence in its work. As the director, Jim Brown focuses on assisting conference directors with creating goals and objectives for their departments and building relationships with conference administration officers. The onset of COVID-19 shortly after he took up his responsibilities has precluded his ability to participate in certain activities, such as visiting the conferences. Brown hopes to be able to make these connections soon. ____________________
James H. Brown is the director of Planned Giving and Trust Services for the Pacific Union Conference.
When settling estates, the office emphasizes compassion with family and friends that will leave a lasting impression, reminding them of the gratitude their loved ones’ gifts have inspired in us and faith that we will use these resources responsibly and with great care.
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V O L U N T E E R - L E D
M I N I S T R I E S
Native Ministries Report
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he Pacific Union is home to approximately 1.3 million Native Americans. Many live on reservations without modern conveniences. The Pacific Union has six missions focused on reaching Native Americans. The churches that minister to these communities have adapted their outreach to more creative ways. In the past five years there have been 40 baptisms as a result of these efforts. There also have been over 30 mission trips to these sites. Chinle Mission’s primary focus has been an addiction recovery program for adults and a prevention program for children. This outreach has a significant impact in the community. The program is held five nights a week, with an average attendance of 70 to 100 per night. Eleven people have been baptized as a direct result of the program. Maricopa Mission reaches out in their community through a Christian school. They have touched the lives of many children as a result of Christian education. The mission has also generated Bible study interests through social media advertisements. Two of the ways Page Mission ministers to their community include their Seeds for Life Community Garden and an annual summer day camp. Hundreds of people from the community have been blessed through these ministries. Children at the day camp learn more about the garden and take part in fun, educational activities. Most importantly, they learn about a God who cares for them. Window Rock and Kinlichee Missions reach out through a variety of methods, including Family Gathering Ministry, addiction recovery, youth nights, and revival meetings. They also record programming for a local radio station.
Kayenta Mission is alive with new vision and purpose. They have started an Alcohol Anonymous group and are involved in prison ministries. Thanks to Maranatha, they are starting a major building project to construct a school. In 2019, a dental clinic was hosted in Page, Arizona. Native Americans from across the reservation attended the event. Hundreds of patients received free dental care, massage, and lifestyle coaching. The volunteers were able to be the hands and feet of Jesus and minister to many who otherwise would have no connection with the church. Many have forgotten the importance of reaching every tribe and nation. Native Americans are an important part of God’s family and need to be touched with the gospel. Reaching these tribes brings new life and diversity to the worldwide church. Hidden in these remote areas is a forgotten mission field. Without the help from volunteers and supporters, this mission could not continue. Thank you for your support and prayers as these efforts continue. For more information on how you can be involved in Native Ministries, contact Native Ministries Coordinator Nancy Crosby at 217-322-2516 or pucnativeministries@gmail.com. ____________________
Nancy Crosby is the Native Ministries coordinator for the Pacific Union Conference.
Hidden in these remote areas is a forgotten mission field. Without the help from volunteers and supporters, this mission could not continue.
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I N S T I T UT I O N S
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ADVENTIST HEALTH
Living God’s Love by Inspiring Health, Wholeness, and Hope
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dventist Health is leading a 21stcentury well-being transformation movement based in its Seventh-day Adventist heritage. Teams touched more than 2.7 million lives in more than 80 communities on the West Coast and in Hawaii through faith-inspired healthcare services from 2016 to 2020. They also are transforming more communities and lives around the world through Blue Zones, a nationally recognized leader in wellbeing and longevity that was acquired in 2020. One of Adventist Health’s most important steps in 2016 was updating its mission statement to better reflect its purpose: Living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. This mission, rooted in Jesus’ ministry of healing and the distinctly Adventist mission of healthcare, broadens the organization’s focus from solely caring for the sick to helping communities and individuals live longer and better. This calling positions Adventist Health as an industry leader in well-being and has driven transformation throughout the organization and its communities, including the creation of the Office of Mission and the Well-Being Division, expansion of mission, and offering practical help through the COVID-19 pandemic and crucial assistance to communities in need around the world. From the chief mission officer in the C-suite to chaplains in the hospitals, the Office of Mission team works to ensure that God’s love permeates every interaction throughout the organization. The Office of Mission helps to connect the organization’s daily interactions and long-term goals with the distinct Adventist historical mission of healthcare and with Jesus’ ministry. Mission leaders meet with executives monthly to reflect on mission and purpose and
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the “why” of what they do. The chief mission officer also leads Adventist Health’s ethics committee to ensure that policies and actions align with the highest standards of moral and ethical practice. The Well-Being Division team works through Blue Zones to empower individuals across the country to live longer and better. This work starts with its 35,000 associates, who have access to a wide variety of well-being resources—from a Blue Zones at Adventist Health well-being app to free online counseling and chaplaincy services. Organizations, including Adventist Health locations, also have access to Blue Zones Campus Certification, which helps build environments that foster well-being and longevity. The organization is also moving outside its hospitals to impact well-being at home, at work, and in communities through local Blue Zones Projects, such as one launched in the Napa Valley near St. Helena Hospital. During the past five years, Adventist Health has expanded into four new California communities, providing the opportunity to reach more than half a million additional community members with God’s love. New hospitals include Delano, which serves rural farm communities in northern Kern and southern Tulare counties; Dameron, based in Stockton in San Joaquin County; Mendocino Coast, serving the coastal communities of Mendocino County; and Tulare, a hospital that Adventist Health reopened a year after it had been closed, restoring emergency, inpatient, and other important services. Adventist Health associates were a force for good throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, risking their lives to care for others during some of their darkest days and finding new ways to deliver excellent care. The organization launched an innovative virtual hospital, Adventist Health Hospital @ Home, to care for hospital patients in
I N S T I T UT I O N S the comfort of their own homes and expanded online doctors’ visits to help keep patients and staff safe. Through May 2021, teams had cared for nearly 15,000 COVID-19 patients. When vaccines arrived, teams worked long hours to administer more than a quarter million doses through May 2021 alone. They also reached out to provide care through food giveaways, grants, mobile clinics, and other support. Adventist Health provided more than $2.5 billion in community assistance from 2016 through 2020
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that included aid to the poor and elderly, community improvement, and free and discounted care. The organization also served communities throughout the world through medical missions to nations including Armenia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, and Zambia. More information about Adventist Health is available at AdventistHealth.org and through its stories at AdventistHealth.org/Story. ____________________
Scott Reiner is the president/CEO of Adventist Health.
ELMSHAVEN
A Reflection of the Personality and Values of Ellen White
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lmshaven is the historic Victorian-style home of Seventh-day Adventist Church co-founder Ellen G. White, who wrote nine major books out of her overall body of work in the upper writing room of the house. Millions of her more than 40 books have been produced in both traditional and digital formats, and some have been translated and published in as many as 160 languages. White lived in the house for 15 years—from its purchase in 1900 until her death in 1915. It was named as a National Historic Landmark in 1993. Today the house, located about 15 minutes from the Napa Valley city of St. Helena in Northern California, appears much as it was when Ellen White lived and worked there, with many of the original furnishings placed as she left them. Elmshaven is owned and maintained by the Pacific Union Conference, and it is open to visitors interested in architecture, antiques, church history, or even how people lived 100 years ago. The house is made up of a front
hall, reception area, living room, dining room, kitchen, secret staircase, writing room, bathroom, hall of the pioneers, guest rooms, and Ellen White’s bedroom. Its reserved style and practical furnishings create a sense of simplicity and balance—typical of the personality and values of Ellen White herself. Currently there are between 7,000 and 8,000 visitors each year. While Elmshaven was threatened by the Glass Fire of 2020, which destroyed much of the surrounding area, the house was spared. The historic home provides a peaceful glimpse of Seventh-day Adventist history to the many visitors who make their way to the Napa Valley each year. This history was enhanced just this year when the only photograph of Ellen White taken inside the house was discovered in a donated collection. The unique photograph, thought to have been taken between 1901 and 1905, shows White taking a break from writing to look directly at the camera. ____________________
Elmshaven was the final home of Ellen G. White and is now owned by the Pacific Union Conference.
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HOLBROOK INDIAN SCHOOL
Valuing Native American Culture
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n 2021, Holbrook Indian School began its 75th year of serving Native American children and youth. The school has an average of 100 students enrolled in first through twelfth grades. Although the majority are from the Navajo Reservation, many tribes have been represented throughout the school’s history. Holbrook uses a wholistic approach to education called MAPS, an acronym for mental, academic/ artistic, physical, and spiritual wellness, representing the core pillars of education at Holbrook that help make students successful. The last five years have focused particularly on developing school facilities and programs to better serve the students. The past year has presented COVID-19-related challenges, and both creativity and faith have been needed to help students thrive. In January of 2016, junior high and high school students began attending classes in a refurbished building on campus known as the Education Center. During the same year, the administration increased efforts to improve and maintain all staff housing and buildings on campus. In 2019, the school purchased a home across from the Holbrook campus, with the intention to renovate the property and use it for enhancing existing school programs. As mobile homes purchased or donated through the years became derelict, the need for staff housing grew to a critical point in late 2019. Providentially, a surgeon from Ukiah, California, volunteered to help build two triplex units. In 2020, fundraising for the project began, and plans were developed. The first triplex is nearing completion, and the second is well on its way. Programs have also continued to grow. Of special note recently are agriculture, counseling, the summer program, indigenous history and art classes, and the music program. The agriculture program serves more than 100 families in local communities, and
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produce grown on the farm is a staple at cafeteria meals. A licensed clinical counselor was hired in 2016 to provide on-site, Christian-based trauma counseling services to Holbrook students, and a second counselor began working specifically with the female population on abuse issues in 2018. In 2021, a MAPS coordinator position was added to the counseling team. The summer program is now in its fifth year, with an average of 20 students attending. Holbrook values Native American culture by offering classes in Navajo language, government, and history. In 2018, an indigenous arts class was added to the pottery program. The music program was reestablished during the 2019/2020 school year and includes a choir and band. COVID-19 was just gaining media attention in Arizona when HIS began its spring break during the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year. Immediately following the students’ departure, the reservation locked down, travel was restricted, and all Arizona schools closed. Holbrook students participated in remote learning for the remainder of the 2019/2020 school year. On August 17th, the campus re-opened with COVID-19 precautions in place, and it remained open throughout the rest of the year. In the spring of 2020, strategies were put in place to counteract the effect the pandemic would have on funding. The 2020/2021 school year ended ahead of goal, and the endowment more than tripled from about $600,000 to about $2,200,000. The pandemic had both positive and negative impacts on Holbrook students. Many students became homesick because they could not go home for weekends, and they left campus for remote learning. Several, however, stayed on campus and consequently made decisions for baptism, ending the year with 26 new followers of Christ. ____________________
Pedro Ojeda is the principal of Holbrook Indian School.
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LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY
Excellence Through Innovation and Safety
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ver the past five years, La Sierra University (LSU) has continued to carry out its mission to seek truth, know God, and serve others. While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to this mission, it has also created incredible opportunities for the university to demonstrate God’s love to the wider community while continuing to offer the excellent education it is known for through innovative and safe delivery systems. LSU voluntarily halted international and domestic travel and began to prepare for remote work and learning at the beginning of the pandemic, several weeks before these actions were required by local and state authorities. During spring quarter 2020, all courses were delivered virtually, and during the 2020-2021 academic year, a small number of laboratory and studio courses were offered in carefully protected environments on campus. Since March 2020, more than 3,600 virtually-delivered courses have served more than 2,000 students in diverse locations—some as far away as China. LSU’s own faculty have been instrumental in developing cutting-edge techniques for managing the pandemic risks. Dr. Arturo Diaz, associate professor of biology, developed a COVID-19 saliva-based surveillance test. The university also purchased certified COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing equipment to confirm any positive results from surveillance tests. This twostep testing process, coupled with rigorous contact tracing and rapid isolation of individual cases, kept the virus from spreading among essential workers and the approximately 90 students who remained in residence on campus. It also contributed to the overall health of the community. In addition to responding to the pandemic,
LSU has continued to meet community needs in other ways. During the past five years, the university received two federal government grants totaling $5.6M to support Hispanic student success. These funds have been used to develop a summer learning program that prepares students for success in college mathematics and other STEM subjects, as well as a collaborative learning center to deliver academic support to students throughout the year. LSU has obtained AVID for Higher Education (AHE) certification that includes training/certification for faculty in active learning techniques. Individual schools and departments are also engaged in exciting service and learning projects. The Zapara School of Business Enactus team applies business principles in meeting the needs of both local and global neighbors. Recently, Enactus partnered with the College of Arts and Sciences in bringing a shipping container farm to campus. Students will apply knowledge gained from their computer science, chemistry, biology, business, and communications courses in the real-world setting of the farm to bring healthy produce to local markets. The H. M. S. Richards Divinity School continues to meet the needs of the local churches and conferences in the Pacific Union, most recently through the delivery of the Master’s in Theological Studies (MTS) program to pastors in the Central California Conference (CCC). The first cohort of 27 pastors graduated from the program in 2020, and the second group began their studies in February 2021. The School of Education continues to train educators, administrators, and counselors for the Pacific Union. Last summer, during the height of the pandemic, LSU provided online graduate degrees and Adventist certification courses to 93 union teachers. Continued on next page It is with tremendous
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I N S T I T UT I O N S gratitude that the faculty and staff of LSU prepare to welcome students back to beautiful Riverside, California, in August 2021. The university is not only a place for academics but one that instills deep spiritual values in its students. Over the past five years, 89 of these students have
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chosen to be baptized in order to publicly join the family of God. The university community is thankful for the ongoing support of so many church members who have made it possible to provide a range of services to students and their families. ____________________
Joy A. Fehr is the president of La Sierra University.
PACIFIC UNION COLLEGE
Striving for Academic Excellence
P
acific Union College (PUC) has significantly impacted the world since 1882 by educating and graduating over 27,000 alumni in its beautiful Napa Valley location. Over the past five years, PUC has experienced significant progress and now looks toward executing ambitious plans for the college’s future. These are articulated through a new brand statement that speaks to the values and aspirations that the college holds for its students, as well as its wider campus community: Learn with Purpose. Rise in Faith. Serve with Love. Students learn with purpose through academic excellence that prepares them for careers of calling, and by association with networks of past and present learners for mentorship and success. They rise in faith by experiencing opportunities PUC provides to build and grow a Christ-centered life characterized by the desire for active faith and discipleship. They serve with love by serving God and humanity, utilizing the values they have adopted in the community of care and compassion modeled by the faculty and staff at PUC. PUC is increasing its focus on providing efficient career paths or acceptance to prestigious graduate programs. Several new degrees at the school emphasize this, as well as being timely for students seeking meaningful ways to serve communities near and far, including global health, data science,
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paramedic programs, and conservation technology. The college is excited about the recent enrollment growth of 4% it experienced in fall 2020, the first increase in six years, and a particular achievement given the nationwide average of a nearly equivalent decrease in college enrollments due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other contributing factors. In 2021, PUC released a detailed Vision for the Future that will expand the school’s reach, make higher education accessible to more students of varying backgrounds, and ensure PUC’s future as a leader in the Christian college marketplace. PUC’s Vision includes four areas of focus: career-focused academic offerings, nurture of the Angwin campus, increasing education centers throughout the Pacific Union, and developing an outstanding online curriculum to make financially viable programs and degrees available for all appropriate markets. PUC has many reasons to be proud. US News & World Report ranked PUC as #1 in Campus Ethnic Diversity (West), #4 Best Value Schools, #10 in Regional Colleges West, #7 in Best Colleges for Veterans, and #14 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (2020 Best Colleges report). EdSmart has ranked PUC as the #10 Best Christian College in California, and #2 in the nation for associate degree schools that provide the best return on investment after graduation (Payscale.com). Its largest academic programs are nursing, biology, business administration, communication, and visual arts, while its most unique programs
I N S T I T UT I O N S include aviation, emergency services, photography, film, and health communication. The visual arts program is the only Seventh-day Adventist college program with accreditation from the National Association for Schools of Art & Design (NASAD.)
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PUC is one of only 66 NAIA Institutions to achieve gold level Champions of Character Five-Star status, among 249 member schools. ____________________
Ralph Trecartin is the president of Pacific Union College.
WESTERN ADVENTIST FOUNDATION
Excellent Service to Individuals and Organizations
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estern Adventist Foundation (WAF), founded in 1997 out of the Pacific Union Conference trust department and its three staff members, supports the work of the individual trust departments within the Pacific Union by providing fiduciary and financial management and expertise. The Foundation grew quickly, and by the year 2000 it had begun to serve the entire North American Division, relocating to Tempe, Arizona, where it expanded to serve conferences, unions, ministries, universities, academies, and hospitals. Currently, WAF manages over 400 revocable trusts of which a Seventh-day Adventist organization is trustee and nearly 200 charitable remainder trusts. It manages roughly 1,700 charitable gift annuities, coordinating state licensure requirements in 48 states for multiple organizations. WAF manages endowments, donor advised funds, special needs trusts, and education trusts, in addition to having custody of many selfadministered trusts and wills. Its total managed totaled nearly $350 million in 2021, while its investments earned more than $27 million in 2020 alone. Since its founding, WAF has distributed well over $100 million to denominational organizations and ministries to further the mission of the church. To maintain a high level of service to its
clients, WAF has grown from its initial staff of three to employ 20 people with expertise in the financial, legal, and tax-related fields required by contemporary fiduciary duties. The team works tirelessly to manage the assets entrusted to WAF for safekeeping and to process more than 2,000 trust and annuity payments each year, all while providing excellent service to both the individual members and the organizations of the church. Since 2016, WAF has grown significantly, moving to a new building in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2017. In 2021, the organization purchased a dedicated building in Scottsdale for the first time and plans to move its operations in 2022. Assets under management have grown 20-40% year after year for the last four years, and talented employees continue to consider it an honor to provide excellent service. Looking to the future, WAF expects to continue to grow in new and exciting ways. For instance, the organization has recently begun processing cryptocurrency donations on behalf of church organizations. WAF is actively growing and exploring new investment options available for trust and annuities, and it is always seeking service-oriented individuals who aim to support the mission of the church through financial and fiduciary management. ____________________
James H. Brown is the CEO of Western Adventist Foundation.
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Calendar
Pathfinder/Adventurer Leadership Retreat (Sept. 1012) Info: Youth Department, 916-886-5613.
Central California Conference
Many events and outreaches are now being virtually presented or streamed online. Check the Events page online at www.CentralCaliforniaAdventist.com for all the updates.
African American Ministries/Urban Ministries Convocation (Oct. 8-9). Online event. Speaker: Dr. Wesley Knight, pastor of The Revision Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Theme: “Engaging the Vision, Living the Dream.” Info: nccsda.com/african-american-ministries.
Zooming with Young Adults: Join the daily Zoom meetings online with the young adults. For an upto-date schedule and meeting id#s visit https://bit. ly/2x0jvDf or email tvang@cccsda.org.
Junior/Senior Retreat (Oct. 22-24) For academy, high school, and home school juniors and seniors. Info: Youth Department, 916-886-5613.
Northern California Conference
FEJA Camp (Sept. 3-6) Hispanic Adventist youth federation. Info: Erick Huitron, 209-420-3877.
Advertising Advertising is accepted as a service to Seventh-day Adventist church members in the Pacific Union. The Recorder management reserves the right to refuse any advertisement, especially ads not related to the needs and practices of the church membership. Acceptance of any advertising shall be considered a matter of accommodation and not a matter of right, nor shall it be construed to constitute approval of the product or service advertised. Payment in advance must accompany all classified advertisements or they will not be published. Display ads for known advertisers will be billed. To pay by credit card, please go to recorder@ adventistfaith.com. How to Submit Advertising Classified ads must be sent with payment to the Recorder office. Display ads should be arranged with the editor (recorder@ adventistfaith.com). Classified Rates $70 for 50 words; 75 cents each additional word. Display rates (full color only): back cover, $4,200; full page, $3,800; 1/2-pg., $2,200; 1/4-pg., $1,200; 1/8-pg., $700; $160 per column inch. Information The Pacific Union Recorder is published 12 times per year with a circulation of approximately 75,000. For more information about advertising, please email to recorder@adventistfaith.com. Upcoming Deadlines These are the advertising deadlines for the Recorder. Your local conference news deadlines will be earlier. October: September 6 • November: October 7 Contributions The Recorder pages are assigned to the local conferences, colleges, and health care institutions, and all content comes through the communication departments in those organizations. If you have a news story/idea, calendar announcement, etc., please contact your local communication department. See the masthead for contact information. Want tips for writing for us? See www.dailywritingtips. com/the-art-of-writing-news.
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I Community & Marketplace
Prison Ministry Day (Oct. 23) Sacramento Central church, 6045 Camellia Avenue, Sacramento. Speaker: Sacramento Central church Associate Pastor Mike Thompson. Theme: “Continue to Remember Those in Prison.” Training for prison ministry volunteers in the afternoon. Info: nccsda.com/prison-ministries. Evangelism Campaign in Oakland (Oct. 23-30). Speaker: Pastor Robert Costa. Info: Luis F. Manrique, 516-262-2369.
Southern California Conference
Special Constituency Session (Sept. 19) 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The purpose of this session is to receive a comprehensive report from the Ad Hoc Region Structure Evaluation Committee, with the committee’s assessment and analysis. This meeting will be held virtually.
Classified
liferichpublishing.com/en/bookstore, barnesandnoble. com, and amazon.com.
At Your Service
Employment
New/Used Adventist Books: TEACH Services helps authors publish their book, including editing, design, marketing, and worldwide distribution. Call 800-367-1844 for a free evaluation. Visit www.LNFBOOKS.com for used books and your local ABC or www.TEACHServices.com for new book releases. SDA Immigration Attorney: We handle family and employment-based immigration cases for clients throughout the United States and around the globe. We also provide free immigration law seminars for churches and other groups. Please contact Jason Mustard at 831249-9330 or Jason@surowitz.com. Feeling the call to get out of the city? Husband and wife SDA REALTORS® can help you find your mountain home near Yosemite. Darlene@HerrsRealEstate.com 559-7608141. Darlene Herr CalDRE#02071769 & Johnny Herr CalDRE#02081978. We can also refer you to other agents within our networks across the country. HerrsRealEstate. com. Broker: BassLakeRealty. Country Living: Properties available in California. Call Soonyoung Park 707-312-3635 or email soonyoungnapa@gmail.com. Country properties and all real estate needs. CA BRE Lic #01421077. You can help the Lord’s ministry of healing in Micronesia by donating your car, boat, bike, RV, or truck. All proceeds go to provide free medical services to the island peoples of Micronesia. Canvasback Missions, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, has been serving since 1986. Visit our website for more info: www.canvasback. org or call 707-746-7828 to arrange your donation. Do you like to read books that are rooted in the Three Angels’ Messages and written from the perspective that we are now living in the last days? Do you enjoy peeling back the layers of the words in the Bible to discover hidden meanings? Visit our website: www.comingkingpublications.com. SDA Realtor at your service: Let us help you sell your property or buy the ideal home here in gorgeous northern California. Rural properties abound. Perfect for families and retirees. Contact: Jerry Kea, 707-888-9613, thomaskea.tk@gmail.com , CA DRE Lic# 02080864, The Real Estate Group. New Adventist book—Cross the Waves and Climb the Steeps. Join the Meyer family as they uproot their lives and heed God’s call. Adventures start in Africa, transition to Lebanon and back to Africa, with other countries in between. Appealing for all ages. Available online at
Wanted: single person to manage and care for estate home in Lake Las Vegas part time. Live-in with private room/bath. For a widow…lovely situation. Call Myrna at 702-568-7777 or 310-613-9549 (cell) or email me at curtismyrna@verizon.net. Stallant Health, a rural health clinic in Weimar, Calif., is accepting applications for an optometrist to join the team. Interested individuals should contact Marva by email: marva@stallanthealth.com. Delta Eye Medical group in Stockton, Calif., is looking for an ophthalmologist to join thriving practice. 209-3345886. Seeking full-time Substance Use Navigator to join Stallant Health, a rural health clinic in Weimar, Calif. This individual must have the unique background of substance abuse with at least one year of successful recovery and will serve to assist patients navigate aspects of their recovery using knowledge of available community resources, personal experience, and modeling successful recovery behaviors. Certification preferred, but assistance available to acquire certification after hire. Please contact the Associate Manager of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program at 530-6374025 x289 or by email: jodi@stallanthealth.com. Stallant Health, a rural health clinic in Weimar, Calif., is accepting applications for a family practice physician and an NP or PA to join the team. Interested individuals should contact Marva by email: marva@stallanthealth. com. Pacific Union College is seeking a full-time Housing Coordinator. Major duties include coordination of PUC faculty/staff housing, moving arrangements, and monitoring of commercial leases/master leases and utility charges for all College-managed leases. Must be customer service oriented and able to multi-task with numerous projects. Must be able to maintain organization and be team player. Salary position. For more information or to apply, please call Human
Newsdesk Online The regular section of Newsdesk in the Recorder is available online at: sda.faith/pacificnewsdesk
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Resources at 707-965-6231 or visit our website at www. PUC.edu/campus-services/human-resources/currentjob-postings. Pacific Union College is seeking a full-time Associate Vice President of Finance for Financial Administration. Major duties include provision of leadership and guidance for all financial aspects of PUC and Howell Mountain Enterprises, ability to develop and implement long- and short-term financial goals consistent with the mission of PUC, budget and balance analysis, and development of strategic tools and systems for critical financial and operational goals. Also must work in conjunction with the Vice President of Financial Administration in engaging the Board of Directors and other members of cabinet in matters of finance, auditing, and investment issues. For more information or to apply, please call Human Resources at 707-965-6231 or visit our website at www.PUC. edu/campus-services/human-resources/current-jobpostings.
Real Estate
Choice mountain land inside Cherokee National Forest in beautiful East Tennessee. Four tracts ranging in size from 10-50 acres. Large creek, cleared land, mixed forest, mature trees. On county-maintained road, utilities on site. 50 miles to Southern Adventist University. 60 miles to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Near scenic rivers, lakes, trails. Ideal retreat, country living, retirement. Call, text, email for info and pictures. 301-332-8237 or Kathyrr777@gmail.com. Great opportunity in Idaho for $275K. Do you want to experience country living while operating an outpost/ ministry or operate your own business? Here is your opportunity to own an 8,000 sq. ft. 2-story building featuring: large open country-themed banquet area, renovated separate living space/office with bathroom/ shower, 180-seat auditorium, stage, baby grand piano. SDA church 20 minutes away. 11 S. Main St., Kooskia, ID 83539. Price reduced to sell. For information: bit. ly/3iiG47R or Theresa Reynold 208-798-7822.
Settle into your own beautiful mountain cabin retreat. In the heart of nature on 9 acres near the Salmon river in Siskiyou county. Awesome scenery, hiking, rafting, swimming. Supplies w/wood heat and hydroelectricity. Sleeps 8 comfortably (3 bdrm), shop building, orchard, and garden. Less than 1 hr drive to active SDA church. $258,000. Wanda, 707-445-1156. Country living at its best! This 5-acre property has it all for $395,000. Located near Blue Ridge in North Georgia, it has a four-bdrm, three-bath house with a well, creek, barn, cabin, woodshed, greenhouse, tractor shed, and root cellar. Call Pierre @ Remax REC today for more information 423-987-0831. For Sale: Amazing California land with water; Incredible Hawaii land; House in mainland; 36' Islander sailboat in Waikiki. Due to COVID and Paradise Camp Fire we are interested in exploring options. Facing tax foreclosures. Call us at 209-507-9686, email us at: health. by.choice.120@gmail.com, or text me at 530-353-5561. Southern Oregon, country setting, 3 acres, easy I-5 access. Modified A-Frame, 3-bdrm, 3-bath, ample living areas, grapes, trees, pool, outbuildings, well, septic. SDA church and school, close to Milo Adventist Academy. 541-430-2710. Office building for lease in Nashville. KentuckyTennessee Conference is leasing a free-standing building ideal for medical, dentistry, or counseling practices. The building was recently renovated and measures 3,000 square feet. It is located immediately off the interstate exit in a highly trafficked upscale commercial area, and it is only 30 minutes from Nashville—a growing city with a booming economy. For more information, contact Terri Jenks at 615-859-1391 ext.1006.
For Sale
Houseboat at Lake Don Pedro, Fleming Meadows, 35 minutes east of Modesto, Calif. Master bedroom with bathroom and shower, guest bathroom, living room with hide-a-bed and two recliners, TV, gas fireplace, full kitchen with two refrigerators/freezers covered upper deck for family, Pathfinder events, etc. Can sleep 20 in sleeping bags. Twin engine power and Sea-Doo personal watercraft. $110,000 for 1/3 ownership, plus monthly dues of $375 to cover slip rental, insurances, taxes, and routine repairs and maintenance. Call: Dan
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García 209-968-7979. Leave a message and I will return your call. SDA Physical Therapist in western WA selling practice. Small (1.5 FTE) but with growth potential, if motivated. Longstanding, solid reputation. Broad referral base. Consistently profitable (even through COVID). Turn-key business. Training provided. Local K-12 SDA school and active SDA church. Small town with mountains and ocean nearby. Inquire: sdanwptclinic4sale@gmail.com
Vacation Opportunities
Maui vacation condo in Kihei. Relaxing and affordable. Only a 3-minute walk to the beach! 1-bdrm w/king bed. Clean, comfortable, well-maintained. Sleeps 4. Fully furnished kitchen, washer/dryer, and more! Free parking, Wi-Fi, and calls to U.S./Canada. Friendly Kihei SDA church nearby. Visit us at: http://www.vrbo. com/62799, email: mauivista1125@gmail.com, or call Mark 909-800-9841. Sunriver, Central Oregon. Four-bedroom vacation home on the North Woodlands golf course. Two master king suites, two queens one bunk set, hot tub, loft, Jacuzzi bath, gas log fireplace, BBQ, W/D, bikes, all resort amenities, sleeps 10, no smoking, no pets. For rates, photos, and reservations, call: 541-279-9553, or email: schultz@crestviewcable.com. Israel and Jordan Jesus Tour April 24-May 6, 2022, with Dr. Carl Cosaert of Walla Walla University. Rediscover the power of the life of Jesus as we visit Galilee, Capernaum, Caesarea, Petra, Jerusalem, and more. For more information on this and other upcoming tours to Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and China, visit www. adventtours.orgor email info@adventtours.org. Adventist Tours 2022. Israel in Jesus’ Steps, March 9-17 & June 12-21 (optional Jordan/Egypt); New Testament Alive/7 Churches, June 2-12; African Safari & Service, May 24-31; Germany-Austria: Luther to WW2, June 22-July 1 (includes Oberammergau Passion Play); Thailand, July 27-Aug. 7. All tours are Adventist-led, with excellent rates and beautiful experiences for all ages. $1750+/person. For full details, contact tabghatours@gmail.com or facebook.com/TabghaTours or call 423-298-2169. “The best trip I’ve ever had! Nothing comes close.” “Fabulous!” “The Bible comes alive.” “An awesome experience!”
At Rest Chang, Josephine “Joby” – b. June 24, 1925, Hilo, Hawaii; d. July 5, 2021, Haleiwa, Hawaii; Survivors: husband, Frank T.S. Chang; sons, Richard, William; daughters, Deborah Lum, Anna Fenderson, Miriam Chang; nine grandchildren;
15 great-grandchildren. Served at Hawaiian Mission Academy and Castle Medical Center. During her 62 years at Hauula church, she served as a pianist, organist, Sabbath School teacher, and Pathfinder leader. Chinn, Evangeline – b. July 16, 1926, Madison, Wis.; d. July 4, 2021, Bakersfield, Calif. Survivors: sons, Jason, Jeff; sisters, Brenda Shipley, Pam Feldkamp; two grandchildren; one great-grandson. Cline, Ethelyne Marie – b. Sept. 14, 1930, Chetek, Rice Lake, Wis.; d. Aug. 6, 2021, Grants Pass, Ore. Survivors: sons, William, John, Frederick; seven grandchildren. Attended Rogue Valley Academy in Medford, Ore. Taught Primary Sabbath School at Santa Cruz church (Calif.) where she was a member for more than 30 years. Granddaughter Lauren serves as associate pastor at Vallejo Drive church in Glendale, Calif. Dancel, Janis Nadine – b. June 13, 1945, Tacoma, Wash.; d. April 30, 2020, Tacoma, Wash. Survivors: husband, Cris Dancel Jr.; sons, Marc, Christopher; brother, Greg White; two grandchildren; four greatgrandchildren. DeChenne, Doris Lynn – b. Dec. 31, 1953, Goldendale, Wash.; d. May 26, 2021, San Diego, Calif. Survivors: sister, Alix Mansker; brother Carrol DeChenne. She was a music instructor at San Pasquale Adventist Academy from 1978-1997 and Escondido Adventist Academy from 2000-2019.
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Jefford, Dmitrius R. – b. Dec. 30, 1981, Porterville, Calif.; d. July 23, 2021, Ventura, Calif. Survivors: parents, Garry Jefford, Carolyn Miller; sister, Tessy Jefford; brother, Scott Miller. Griswold, Jack Wesley – b. Sept. 11, 1932, Loma Linda, Calif.; d. Jan. 17, 2021, Redlands, Calif. Survivors: wife, Bethene; sons, Gary, Kent, Scott; daughter Shelly Hayton; 10 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren. Hinton, William C., Sr. – b. July 26, 1925, East Stroudsburg, Pa.; d. July 22, 2021, Sun City, Ariz. Survivors: wife, Harriet; son, William Jr.; daughter, Faith Hughes; one grandson. He was a minister mainly on the East Coast and Midwest and for two separate terms in Hawaii after he retired. He also worked as a chaplain at Loma Linda University Hospital from 1983-96. Ionescu, Lucia – b. Mar. 9, 1932, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; d. July 26, 2021, Riverside, Calif. Survivors: daughter, Amy Christensen; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren. Karr, Jessie Marie – b. Apr. 26, 1924, Fresno, Calif.; d. July 14, 2021, Milton, Vt. Survivors: sons, Bill, Robert Jr.; daughters, Dianne Karr, Rosemary Gladstar, Betty Jenks; 10 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; two great-greatgrandchildren.
September 2021 Sunset Calendar
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City/Location
SEPT 3
SEPT 10
SEPT 17
SEPT 24
Alturas 7:31 7:19 7:07 6:55 Angwin 7:36 7:25 7:14 7:02 Bakersfield 7:19 7:09 6:59 6:49 Calexico 7:03 6:54 6:44 6:35 Chico 7:34 7:23 7:11 7:00 Death Valley (Furnace Ck) 7:41 7:29 7:17 7:05 Eureka 7:44 7:33 7:21 7:09 Four Corners [E] 7:41 7:30 7:20 7:09 Fresno 7:23 7:13 7:02 6:52 Grand Canyon (South Rim) 6:52 6:42 6:32 6:21 Half Dome 7:23 7:13 7:02 6:51 Hilo 6:33 6:26 6:20 6:14 Holbrook 6:43 6:34 6:24 6:13 Honolulu 6:32 6:26 6:19 6:13 Joshua Tree 7:07 6:58 6:48 6:38 Lake Tahoe 7:26 7:15 7:04 6:52 Las Vegas 7:04 6:54 6:44 6:33 Lodi-Stockton 7:31 7:20 7:09 6:58 Loma Linda 7:11 7:02 6:52 6:42 Los Angeles 7:15 7:05 6:56 6:46 McDermitt [N] 7:20 7:08 6:56 6:43 Moab 7:44 7:33 7:22 7:11 Monterey Bay 7:32 7:21 7:11 7:00 Mt. Whitney 7:17 7:07 6:56 6:46 Napa 7:35 7:24 7:13 7:02 Nogales [S] 7:13 7:04 6:54 6:44 Oakland 7:34 7:24 7:13 7:02 Paradise, CA 7:33 7:22 7:11 6:59 Phoenix 6:50 6:40 6:31 6:21 Pu‘uwaiau, Ni’ihau [W] 6:34 6:28 6:22 6:15 Reno 7:26 7:15 7:03 6:52 Riverside 7:12 7:02 6:52 6:42 Sacramento 7:32 7:21 7:10 6:59 Salt Lake City 7:55 7:44 7:32 7:20 San Diego 7:10 7:00 6:51 6:42 San Francisco 7:35 7:24 7:13 7:02 San Jose 7:32 7:22 7:11 7:00 Santa Rosa 7:37 7:26 7:15 7:03 Sunset Beach 7:32 7:21 7:11 7:00 Thousand Oaks 7:18 7:08 6:58 6:48 Tucson 6:44 6:35 6:26 6:17 [N]=Northernmost [S]=Southernmost [E]=Easternmost [W]=Westernmost point in the Pacific Union
“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9
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Krieger, Deborah Christine – b. Apr. 15, 1952, New York, N.Y.; d. July 26, 2021, Yreka, Calif. Survivors: husband, David; sons, Christopher Giorgi, Jacob Giorgi. She had just been hired at the Yreka Adventist Christian School for K-1. She was a loving wife, an attentive mother, and a passionate educator. She loved Jesus and spread the gospel, wore a friendly smile wherever she went, and loved spending time with her grandchildren. Martinez, Herminia T. – b. Apr. 25, 1940, North Hollywood, Calif.; d. July 6, 2021, Dinuba, Calif. Survivors: husband, Rodolfo; son, Esteban; daughter, Becky Martinez-Bindernagel; one grandson. McFarland, Doyle Lee – b. March 9, 1929, Sutherlin, Ore.; d. May 13, 2021, Magalia, Calif. Survivors: wife, Kathy; son, Dennis; daughters, Janet McFarland, Julie Kline, Ginger Mack; stepdaughters, Janelle Corbel, Joanne Rasmussen; sister, Florence McFarland; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one great-greatgrandchild. Doyle served as a pastor, a Sabbath School superintendent, head elder, and Youth leader. McFarland, Karen Elisabeth – b. Dec. 12, 1940, Flint, Mich.; d. June 23, 2021, Pasadena, Calif. Survivors: husband, Jim; sons, Brett, Todd; brother, Col. S. Charles Knapp Jr.; five grandchildren. Miller, Wanda Mae – b. Nov. 30, 1931, Huntington Park, Calif.; d. July 5, 2021, Taft, Calif. Wanda was a teacher for 43 years. In her retirement she led the Sunshine outreach. Her sometimes unexpected but always sweet notes brought smiles. Olson, Lennart O. – b. July 9, 1922, Stockholm, Sweden; d. June 24, 2021, Wichita Falls, Texas. Survivors: wife, Beverly; daughters, Colleen, Janelle; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren. Reis, Christine – b. Nov. 15, 1952, Newark, N. J.; d. May 20, 2021, Green Valley, Ariz. Survivors: husband, Ray Reis; sons, Joey and Bryan Goresh; brother, Peter Copolla; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. Christine was a first-generation Adventist. Her passion was personal ministry; she organized many events for the church. Ruf, Helen Knittel – b. Nov. 26, 1929, Plainview, Texas; d. March 31, 2021, Collegedale, Tenn. Survivors: husband, Rolland; son, Jeff Knittel; daughter, Sherry Campbell; stepchildren, Rolland Ruf, Jr., Warren Ruf, and Stephen Ruf; five grandchildren; numerous greatgrandchildren. Helen married Frank Knittel in 1956 and began a decades-long partnership during which they served at several SDA universities. She taught English and business courses at Southern Adventist University while her husband was president. In 1983, the couple moved to California where Helen taught at Loma Linda
and La Sierra universities and served as a registrar for La Sierra Academy. The couple retired to Tennessee, and after Frank's death in 2015, Helen married Rolland M. Ruf, a retired minister.
Snider, Claire Adabelle – b. Feb. 23, 1928, Fields Landing, Calif.; d. July 9, 2021, Ukiah, Calif. Survivors: son, Paul Cody Snider; daughter, Carol Hallman; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild.
Sharp, Donna Lee – b. May 7, 1928, Long Beach, Calif.; d. June 18, 2021, Yuba City, Calif. Survivors: sons, Edward Allen, Eric Allen, Evan Allen; daughter, Esther Allen; stepdaughter, Sharon Sorrells Sharp; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren. She was a pastor’s wife at Bishop and Reno, Calif. Served in the Philippines for four years. Beautiful pianist, having a musical degree from La Sierra College.
Willhelm, Helen – b. Aug. 15, 1944, Great Falls, Mont.; d. Feb. 14, 2021. Survivors: husband, Glen; daughters, Carol Willhelm, Lisa Willhelm Cooney; two grandchildren. She was a teacher at Lodi Academy, Rio Lindo Academy, and Columbia Union College.
Recorder Membership The Pacific Union Recorder is provided as a free service to members of the conferences that are part of the Pacific Union Conference (Arizona, Hawaii, Northern California, Central California, Southern California, Southeastern California, and Nevada-Utah). Each conference maintains the list of members, based on the reports from their churches. If you would like to make a change to your subscription (name, address, cancellation), please contact your local conference. The staff of the Recorder does not have access to the circulation lists, other than the paid subscriptions.
Ward, Richard Ellsworth – b. Feb. 21, 1932, Glendale, Calif.; d. Apr. 29, 2021, Yucaipa, Calif. Survivors: sons, Rick, Chris; daughter, Tamara Schlotthauer; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren. Williams, Lydia Emilia – b. Feb. 17, 1919, Manila, the Philippines; d. June 5, 2021, Loma Linda, Calif. Survivors: daughters, Amabel Tsao, Adelaine Purdy; sister, Ofelia Gonzaga; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren. Lydia lived in various countries, teaching from high school to special education. Her musical talents were used in teaching piano, leading bell choirs, and playing the organ in her home church until she was 90 years old. Her autobiography, A Child of the Enclave, chronicles the simple lives of a community of faithful Adventists who pioneered a great educational institution in the Philippines.
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